Emirates Airlines jet going from Heathrow to Dubai suffers New Year’s Eve mid-air malfunction and is compelled to circle above London for greater than an HOUR earlier than touchdown

An Emirates Airlines jet travelling from Heathrow to Dubai suffered a New Year’s Eve mid-air malfunction and was forced to circle above London for more than an hour before landing back at Heathrow.

The double-decker Airbus A380 departed from Heathrow’s runway at 2.32pm, 52 minutes late and was initially scheduled to arrive in Dubai at 12.40am.

However, shortly after becoming airborne, the flight crew reported an issue with a landing gear door.

The aircraft was significantly above its Maximum Landing Weight (MLW) for its seven-hour journey and had to dispose of fuel to ensure a safe arrival and avoid structural stress on the airframe.

The gear doors remained open after departure as the aircraft climbed away from Heathrow. 

The pilots entered a holding pattern nearby which is a standardised, racetrack-shaped flight path used to keep aircraft safely circling within designated airspace while awaiting Air Traffic Control (ATC) clearance.

For approximately 90 minutes, the aircraft circled at an altitude of 10,000 feet over Orpington, south-east London, to allow the engines to consume enough fuel to lighten the plane.

After reducing the weight to within safe limits, the flight was cleared for an approach and touched down safely at Heathrow at 4.28pm, approximately two hours after its initial departure.

For approximately 90 minutes, the aircraft circled at an altitude of 10,000 feet over Orpington, South East of London, to allow the engines to consume enough fuel to lighten the plane

The gear doors remained open after departure as the aircraft climbed away from Heathrow 

The flight touched down safely at Heathrow at 16:28, approximately two hours after its initial departure

An Emirates spokesperson said: ‘Emirates flight EK002 departed London Heathrow (LHR) for Dubai on 31 December 2025 after 13:40 GMT as scheduled, but returned to LHR shortly after take-off due to a technical fault.

‘The flight landed back in LHR and passengers and crew were safely disembarked. 

‘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.’

Delays left passengers confused and some have had their holiday plans ruined 

Travel expert Simon Calder said on X: ‘500 Emirates passengers who took off from Heathrow for Dubai this afternoon got no further than Maidstone in Kent before the pilots decided to turn back due to a landing gear problem. 

‘The Airbus A380 SuperJumbo circled over Orpington for 2 hours to burn off fuel and landed safely.’ 

It looks like passengers may ring in the New Year from airport hotels in the Heathrow area.