On Sunday, August 6, 2023, two British Airways A380s were forced to return to their departure airports after being in the air for 7 and 11 hours respectively. The reason for this was the closure of Niger's airspace due to a military coup.
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The first flight, British Airways flight BA56, was scheduled to fly from Johannesburg (JNB) to London (LHR) and was operated by an eight-year-old Airbus A380 with the registration code G-XLEI. The flight took off at 7:44 PM local time and flew north for nearly five hours before encountering a problem. Due to the closure of Niger's airspace, the decision was made to return to Johannesburg. The plane landed back in Johannesburg at 6:27 AM, nearly 11 hours after it had departed.
The second flight, British Airways flight BA55, was scheduled to fly from London (LHR) to Johannesburg (JNB) and was operated by a seven-year-old Airbus A380 with the registration code G-XLEK. The flight took off at 8:05 PM local time and flew south for just over three hours before encountering the same issue with Niger's airspace closure. The decision was made to return to London, but due to Heathrow's curfew, the plane couldn't land until 4:30 AM BST, 7 hours after departure.
These incidents highlight the complexities of the airline industry and how political situations can have a significant impact on air travel. It is important for airlines to have contingency plans in place to deal with unexpected situations like this. In this case, British Airways handled the situation professionally and ensured the safety of its passengers.