British Airways Dreamliner returns due to flap issue; no injuries reported

An X account, @chennaiweather, posted a video from onboard showing fuel being dumped and reported that the captain mentioned a "flap adjustment failure." Despite efforts by the flight crew, they could not resolve the issue midair.

Aircraft sometimes need to dump fuel before landing prematurely because they must reduce weight for a safe landing. The Maximum Landing Weight (MLW) is significantly lighter than their Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW), necessitating fuel dumping in such scenarios.

The affected aircraft remains grounded at London Heathrow more than six days later. British Airways clarified that while it did land out of precaution, it was not an emergency landing.

This incident follows other recent concerns involving Boeing 787 Dreamliners after an Air India crash in Ahmedabad and subsequent safety scares with similar aircraft types.

British Airways operates all three variants of the Boeing 787 family—787-8, 787-9, and 787-10—with its largest subfleet being the 787-9. Meanwhile, another British Airways flight had recently returned due to Middle East tensions affecting airspace availability.

Despite these incidents, Boeing's Dreamliner has generally maintained a strong safety record but has faced challenges during its development and service life. Issues like battery fires in 2013 and quality control problems in recent years have affected its operations.

The investigation into last week's Air India Flight 171 crash continues as authorities work to determine its cause amid renewed scrutiny over Boeing's production practices.