A British Airways flight was cancelled after a “numbskull” driver’s van careered into a jumbo jet and caused £100,000 of damage.
An airport vehicle rolled under the aircraft’s wing on Monday evening after its driver forgot to apply the handbrake during pre-departure checks.
As a result, the BA flight to Kuala Lumpur was cancelled over safety fears as the van was lodged under the plane’s fuselage.
Up to 300 passengers were left stranded as their journey was delayed by 24 hours.
Footage of the incident shared online showed authorities and engineers rushing to the scene to inspect the damage to the Boeing 789 Dreamliner.
The vehicle which caused the chaos on the Terminal 5 tarmac belonged to aeronautical firm Thales, and was thought to be used for servicing in-flight entertainment.
A source told The Sun: “The driver was a numbskull not using the handbrake and was incredibly sheepish when the vehicle rolled underneath the jet, causing pandemonium and causing agonising delays to hundreds of passengers.
“It’s incredible to think someone driving in and around jumbo jets would forget to put the handbrake on.
Footage of the incident showed authorities and engineers rushing to the scene to inspect the damage to the Boeing 789 Dreamliner
|
PA
“What a plonker. The driver will be hoping the costs don’t come out of their wages.
“Passengers groaned in disbelief but a few engineers saw the funny side and shouted, ‘You can’t park there mate!’.”
The 12-and-a-half hour flight eventually left London the following day at 9.05pm before touching down in Malaysia on Wednesday afternoon.
It is thought that the error would have cost around £100,000 when taking into account passenger compensation, disrupted landing and take-off slots and crew rotas, and safety and engineering checks.
FLIGHT CHAOS – READ MORE:
Passengers groaned in disbelief before eventually leaving Heathrow Terminal 5 the next day
|
PAA British Airways source confirmed the delay, adding that overnight accommodation for the passengers was provided by the airline.
GB News has approached British Airways and Thale for comment.
British Airways’ Dreamliner fleet, of which this aircraft was a part, has faced ongoing challenges in 2025.
Routes to Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Bahrain and Dallas Fort Worth were suspended earlier this year due to engine problems and maintenance delays.
Global supply chain disruptions have worsened the problem by creating a shortage of spare parts.
As such, the airline’s long-haul network has seen increased maintenance downtime and flight schedules affected by delays.
