British Airways (BA) had to postpone a fully-booked flight just before departure reportedly because of a "distinctive smell."
Strange Odor in Cabin Sickens Passengers and Grounds Aircraft
In a report by LADbible, passengers booked on a BA116 flight from New York to London on a Boeing 777 aircraft on Wednesday, June 14, were informed they would not be able to make the international travel.
According to reports, the departing flight from Heathrow Airport was abruptly canceled due to a strong odor that was causing crew members headaches. At JFK Airport, hundreds of people were left waiting when the service was canceled.
Workers at BA were reportedly then sent home. The employees allegedly complained of headaches, itchy eyes, and a metallic aftertaste in their mouths.
A source told The Sun, "A distinctive smell was detected on the outbound flight from behind a canister. An area of the plane had to be monitored at 30,000ft."
The New York police and fire department boarded the aircraft to find the origin of the strange odor, but they detected no dangerous gasses. BA engineers were also charged with investigating the source of the stench.
The trip back to Heathrow, the insider told the newspaper, was a huge worry since several of the staff had a negative reaction to the unknown odor.
The flight was subsequently stated to have been canceled because the plane was not safe to go, despite the fact that it was packed with passengers from BA.
Another anonymous source said that customers were rebooked on later flights but that the New York airport was in "pandemonium" since no one understood what had happened to the BA116 service.
One of the informants said that the repercussions would be enormous. There were missed connections, crews out of position, and"a mystery, filthy airplane, among other problems.
A business representative emphasized that passenger safety is the airline's top concern. They told The Sun in a statement, "The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority and will never be compromised. We apologized to our customers for the inconvenience caused and offered an alternative flight or a full refund."
Recent Flight Cancellations Have Impacted Far More Customers
In a separate instance, earlier this week, another BA flight from New York's JFK airport to Heathrow had to turn around shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue. People were put on later flights or given hotel rooms so they could leave the following day.
Nonetheless, British Airways is not the only airline that has lately had to cancel flights.
In an article by The Independent, over a hundred EasyJet flights were canceled on Sunday, June 11. An estimated 15,000 passengers delayed their flights at London Gatwick due to the bad weather and thunderstorms.
