A British Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, preparing for departure from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur, sustained damage after a ground vehicle became trapped beneath its fuselage. The aircraft was grounded following the incident, and passengers’ flight was delayed by 24 hours.
An unusual incident occurred on Monday night at London Heathrow Airport. A British Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, scheduled to operate a flight to Kuala Lumpur, was damaged during pre-departure preparations when a ground vehicle became lodged beneath its fuselage.
The small van, reportedly belonging to global aviation technology company Thales, inexplicably rolled toward the parked aircraft. Initial assessments suggest that although the driver had engaged the handbrake, the vehicle suddenly moved forward, making contact with the plane’s fuselage and causing damage to its lower section.
Photos shared from the scene show airport staff and firefighters inspecting the aircraft in detail. As the aircraft was suspected to have sustained structural damage, British Airways cancelled the flight and temporarily grounded the plane.
According to FlightRadar24 data, the delayed BA flight is now scheduled to depart approximately 24 hours later, at 15:00 on Tuesday.
British Airways’ Dreamliner fleet has frequently made headlines in recent months due to recurring technical issues. The airline had cancelled its Abu Dhabi flights for the 2025 summer season due to reliability concerns with Rolls-Royce Trent engines and had also suspended services to Kuwait and Bahrain for similar reasons.
Similar accidents have occurred in the past. In April, Emirates faced a flight cancellation at Moscow Domodedovo Airport after a service vehicle became trapped under one of its Airbus A380 aircraft. The aircraft was later ferried back to Dubai without passengers after repairs were completed.
British Airways officials stated that a technical investigation into the Heathrow incident is ongoing, safety protocols will be reviewed, and passenger disruptions will be resolved as quickly as possible.
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