Bucharest, Romania: A British Airways flight traveling from Istanbul to London Heathrow made an emergency landing in Bucharest on Thursday afternoon after the crew reported a suspected technical issue. Romanian authorities said four people received medical assistance for possible smoke inhalation, though none required hospitalization.
Flight BA603, operated by an Airbus A320, departed Istanbul earlier in the day with 142 passengers and crew on board. The aircraft declared an emergency around 5:50 p.m. local time and landed safely at 6:14 p.m. at Henri Coandă International Airport in Bucharest, according to Romania’s air traffic control and emergency services.
The Romanian Ministry of Health initially reported that smoke was detected inside the cabin and that four individuals were affected. Medical teams treated the passengers at the airport, and all were later cleared without serious injuries.
British Airways said in a statement to The Associated Press that “Our flight diverted to Bucharest as a precaution following a suspected technical issue. The aircraft landed safely and customers disembarked normally. Safety is always our highest priority.”
The airline added that its engineers were examining the aircraft and that passengers were provided hotel accommodation while arrangements were made for onward travel to London.
Romanian aviation authorities confirmed that the aircraft was to undergo inspection before resuming operations. The cause of the incident has not been officially determined, though officials described the diversion as “precautionary.”
Local emergency crews deployed ambulances, fire units, and airport medical teams to the runway as part of standard safety protocol during emergency landings.
