Virgin Atlantic plane forced to return to Heathrow midflight as pilot had not completed training
In what’s been described as a major embarrassment for Virgin Atlantic, a New York-bound Airbus A330 was rerouted back to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) on Monday when it was discovered the copilot hadn’t fully completed his training.
Roughly 40 minutes into the journey, the pilot of the Airbus A330 was informed by bosses on the ground that the first officer had yet to fully complete their flying exams. The service was rerouted back to Heathrow, much to the annoyance of passengers and cabin crew.
“You could have cut the tension in the cockpit with a knife,” one source told The Sun newspaper. The source explained the plane was near Ireland when staff received word that the first officer was not qualified, and they had no choice but to return to London to pick up a more experienced crew member. "It was embarrassing for everyone and the passengers were furious."
A first officer is tasked with some of the most important jobs in commercial aviation: talking to air traffic control, assisting with take-off and flight procedures and — should anything happen to the captain – commandeering the flight as well.
Related: Learn from my experience: How to avoid a 7-week passport renewal saga
Flight VS3 initially took off from Heathrow at 9:41 a.m on Monday before its U-turn, touching back down again at Heathrow at 11:12 a.m. More than 300 passengers and crew aboard the Airbus A330-343 then waited on the tarmac as a qualified stand-in was found, at which point the highly experienced captain set off for John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) once more.
“Due to a rostering error, flight VS3 from London Heathrow to New York-JFK returned to Heathrow on Monday, May 2nd, shortly after take-off," a spokesperson for the airline said of the incident. "The qualified first officer, who was flying alongside an experienced captain, was replaced with a new pilot to ensure full compliance with Virgin Atlantic’s training protocols, which exceed industry standards."
As well as issuing an apology to all passengers affected by the peculiar delay, the airline has stressed that no aviation rules were broken. That's because the copilot in question was deemed safe and competent to operate the flight in a technical sense. The issues, it appears, were caused by Virgin's own internal compliance measures that require all pilots take a final assessment flight – something the first officer had not done.
The U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority has also backed the airline up and confirmed that passengers were not in danger stating. "Virgin Atlantic have made us aware of the incident. Both pilots were suitably licensed and qualified to undertake the flight," the aviation authority stated.
Related: To land or divert? How pilots decide the safest option
Even so, Virgin Atlantic has since reviewed its protocols and will update them to ensure similar mistakes aren’t repeated in the future.
Fortunately for the passengers, they did eventually reach New York on Monday — albeit two hours and 40 minutes later than scheduled. You'd imagine a well-deserved Manhattan was the order of the day.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.