The VS3 flight, from London Heathrow to JFK in New York departed from the capital on Thursday morning, March 6 before the plane made a u-turn mid-flight and returned to the UK.
Virgin Atlantic confirmed the emergency diversion and said it was a ‘precautionary measure’ due to a ‘technical issue’. The plane was met by a number of airport fire engines after touching down at Manchester Airport, reports Manchester Evening News.
The flight path, as shown by FlightRadar24, shows the plane turning around at four hours into the journey, when just off the east coast of the USA, and flying back over the Atlantic and arriving back in Manchester at around 5pm.
Passengers had been on board the aircraft for around nine hours when it returned to the UK. They were put up in hotels overnight, as the airline apologised for the delay and inconvenience to passengers.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “As a precautionary measure, the VS3 from London Heathrow to New York JFK on 6th March has returned to the UK due to a technical issue.
“The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and our teams are working hard to ensure our customers can continue on their journey as soon as possible. We sincerely apologise for the delay and any inconvenience caused.”