BA flight from Gatwick to Portugal is forced to make U-turn after declaring mid-air emergency over 'cracked window'

Published: 05:51 EDT, 13 October 2026 | Updated: 06:17 EDT, 13 October 2026 A British Airways flight has been forced to make an emergency U-turn following reports of a cracked window.The BA EuroFlyer service was headed from London Gatwick Airport to Faro, Portugal when it had to make an urgent diversion shortly after passing Brittany, France.It departed around 9am on Tuesday, but around an hour into the journey pilots reportedly issued a mid-air emergency. The pilots had noticed 'structural damage to a window panel on the right side of the aircraft', according to Aviation news outlet AirLive. AirNav Radar, which tracks aircrafts, raised the alarm this morning.They said on X: 'A passenger window is cracked.'Flight deck going through checks before deciding where to divert.' A British Airways flight has been forced to make an emergency U-turn following reports of a cracked window (file image)The Airbus A321-231 could also be seen heading back to London, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.The cause of the emergency U-turn has not yet been confirmed.A spokesperson for British Airways said: 'The aircraft diverted following a minor technical issue and landed safely back at London Gatwick. 'We have apologised to customers for the delay to their journey, and our teams are working hard to get their travel plans back on track.'This is a breaking news story, more to follow...Were YOU on the flight? Email Jada.bas@dailymail.co.uk