LONDON- Dubai-based Emirates Airline (EK) flight EK2 from London Heathrow (LHR) to Dubai Airport (DXB) made a U-turn back at LHR on December 31, 2025.
One of the largest international carriers operates almost a dozen daily flights between Dubai and London with a mix of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s.
Emirates A380 Return to London
According to AirNav Radar data, Emirates flight EK2 took off from London at 02:31 PM UTC. Shortly after takeoff, the crew reported technical issues with aircarft landing gear. Following this, the pilot decided to return back at Heathrow.
But before the pilot could land at Heathrow, they needed to dump the fuel to avoid a hard landing or an overweight landing. After dumping fuel for around one hour and 15 minutes at 10,000 feet, the flight landed safely at Runway 27R of Heathrow at 04:28 PM UTC.
According to reports, the crew reported technical issues with the Airbus A380’s left main landing gear door.
The BIG JET TV recorded the Emirates A380 return to Heathrow: (Watch from 3:00:00)
The flight EK2 was operated by Airbus A380-800 registered as A6-EUF. Further, it is a 9-year-old aircraft powered by four Engine Alliance GP7000 engines.
Similar Incident
British Airways (BA) Airbus A380 operating flight BA56 from Johannesburg (JNB) to London Heathrow (LHR) returned to Johannesburg (JNB) after the crew reported a technical issue with the landing gear during departure.
The flight crew of British Airways (BA) decided to discontinue the journey and land back at Johannesburg (JNB) as a safety precaution while the aircraft was still heavy with fuel.
Operational return following the reported gear issue
British Airways flight BA56 departed Johannesburg (JNB) at about 5:45 PM UTC for London Heathrow (LHR). Soon after takeoff, the crew reported a problem linked to the landing gear.
Flight tracking data showed the A380 making a turn back toward Johannesburg, where it later performed a heavy landing at about 6:35 PM UTC.
A heavy landing refers to a landing conducted without significant fuel dumping. Since the aircraft was still carrying fuel intended for the long-haul sector to London, the landing weight was higher than normal.
After touchdown, the Airbus A380 remained on the runway for approximately 45 minutes before being moved. Ground staff later towed the aircraft back to the departure gate for further inspection.
Some passenger and social media reports referenced a burning smell detected in the cockpit area. However, the cause of the smell was not officially confirmed at the time of reporting.
The aircraft involved was a British Airways Airbus A380-841 with registration G-XLEH. According to fleet data, the aircraft is around 9.2 years old and was delivered to the airline in October 2014.
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