Dubai-Bound Emirates Flight Returns To London Due To 'Technical Fault' On NYE

A Dubai-bound Emirates flight from London returned to its origin on New Year's Eve, the airline confirmed in a statement to Khaleej Times.

The flight (EK002), which departed from London Heathrow (LHR) to DXB on December 31, returned back to London shortly after take-off due to a "technical fault".

Set to take-off at 1.40pm (GMT), the flight landed back and all "passengers and crew were safely disembarked", according to the Dubai airline.

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The aircraft reportedly had 500 passengers onboard. As per Flight Radar, the plane was above its maximum landing weight, requiring the pilot to enter a holding pattern at about 10,000 feet to reduce fuel levels before making a safe landing.

The plane touched down at Heathrow at 4.28pm, circling above London for over an hour and burning fuel. Emergency vehicles were on standby, waiting for the flight to land back at Heathrow.

"All passengers will be rebooked to depart on future Emirates flights from LHR. Emirates apologises for any inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance and will not be compromised."

Last year, Emirates announced it would be adding six weekly flights to its London Heathrow schedule, starting October 26, 2025.

Emirates already flies six times a day to and from London Heathrow, and all flights are served by its flagship Airbus A380. The additional flights will operate on all days except for Fridays during the winter period with the airline's Boeing 777-300ER, offering over 350 seats each way in a three - class configuration split between First, Business, and Economy.

Last month, an Emirates flight to the Indian city of Hyderabad received a "security threat", the airline's spokesperson confirmed to Khaleej Times. Standard safety procedures were followed by the authorities in India to ensure the safety of the passenger and the aircraft.

During the current New Year peak period, airports and airlines in both Dubai and Sharjah have issued advisories for residents and tourists travelling through the emirates on New Year Eve and in the first week of January 2026. The UAE has declared January 1 a public holiday, with January 2 designated for remote work in the public sector. Private companies will also observe January 1 as a holiday, and some were permitted remote work on December 31.

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