Overview
- At Heathrow Terminal 5, British Airways Flight BA217 to Washington saw an emergency slide inflate by mistake while parked at Gate B47.
- Emergency services stood by as engineers inspected the door and the slide, which must be checked or legally deactivated before an aircraft can depart.
- The disruption stretched for hours, with some reports citing about three hours seated on the tarmac and others describing a longer overall delay.
- Passengers eventually left the aircraft during the hold, and the 777 later operated the transatlantic flight after it was cleared.
- British Airways apologized and did not state a cause, while some outlets cited unnamed sources and past BA slide misfires and estimated costs around £100,000.