ABU DHABI— Etihad Airways (EY) confirmed that one of its scheduled flights from Abu Dhabi to London was forced to return to the departure airport shortly after take-off on Wednesday following a technical issue onboard.
The affected service, flight EY061, departed from Zayed International Airport (AUH) and was bound for London Heathrow Airport (LHR).
The airline stated that the aircraft safely returned to Abu Dhabi after the crew identified the issue during the early phase of the journey.
Etihad said passengers would continue their travel to London on an alternative aircraft, while the disruption also affected the return service EY062 from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi.
Etihad Flight Returns to Abu Dhabi
Etihad confirmed the incident in an official statement issued on May 20. According to the airline, the aircraft operating flight EY061 turned back “shortly after take-off” due to a technical problem that required precautionary action by the crew.
The airline did not specify the nature of the issue or identify the aircraft involved in the incident.
However, the carrier emphasized that safety remained its highest priority and that the decision to return was made in line with standard operational procedures.
Passengers onboard were reportedly accommodated after the aircraft landed safely back in Abu Dhabi. The airline also arranged an alternative aircraft to minimize disruption to travelers heading to London.
Delays at London Heathrow
The operational impact extended beyond the outbound service from the UAE.
Etihad confirmed that flight EY062, scheduled to depart from London Heathrow back to Abu Dhabi on the same day, would also face delays due to the aircraft rotation change.
Delays involving long-haul aircraft can affect multiple sectors, especially on heavily utilized international routes between the Middle East and Europe.
Airlines often deploy replacement aircraft or adjust schedules to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
The Abu Dhabi–London Heathrow route remains one of Etihad’s important long-haul connections, serving business and leisure travelers between the UAE and the United Kingdom.
The airline currently operates multiple weekly services on the route using widebody aircraft.
Safety Procedures Adopted by Etihad
Airlines routinely return aircraft to the departure airport when crews detect technical irregularities that require further inspection.
Aviation experts note that such precautionary diversions are part of globally accepted safety standards and do not necessarily indicate a serious mechanical failure.
Commercial aircraft are equipped with monitoring systems that allow pilots and engineers to identify issues quickly during flight operations.
In many cases, carriers choose to return or divert flights to ensure maintenance teams can inspect the aircraft thoroughly before it resumes service.
Etihad has not announced whether the aircraft involved will undergo extended maintenance checks, National News flagged. The airline also did not provide an estimated delay duration for the affected London-bound passengers at the time of the statement.
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