A British Airways flight from London to Faro declared an emergency on Tuesday 13 October 2026 after a passenger window cracked during the flight. The service, BA2660, was operating from London Gatwick to the Algarve with the Airbus A321-231 registered G-EUXD.
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft was scheduled to leave London at 07:40 and departed Gatwick at 08:06. The flight was due into Faro at 10:50 local time.
What Happened on the London to Faro Flight
The crew declared an emergency while the A321 was en route to Portugal. FlightEmergency reported on X that a cracked passenger window was behind the declaration.
At the time of writing, Flightradar24 showed the aircraft with an estimated arrival time of 10:33. The Aviation Hub will update this article once it is confirmed where the aircraft landed and whether any passengers required assistance.
The flight is one of several daily British Airways rotations between London Gatwick and Faro, a route that remains busy with holidaymakers and second home owners well into the autumn.
Why a Cracked Window Prompts an Emergency
Passenger windows on modern airliners use several layers rather than a single sheet of acrylic. The outer pane carries the pressure load, a middle pane acts as a fail safe backup, and a thin inner pane protects the others from scratches inside the cabin.
A crack in one layer rarely means a loss of cabin pressure, because the remaining panes are designed to hold. However, crews cannot always tell from inside the cabin which layer has failed, so they treat any window damage with caution.
Declaring an emergency gives the crew priority handling from air traffic control. It also allows them to descend to a lower altitude, which reduces the pressure difference across the damaged window, and to plan a landing at the most suitable airport.
The Aircraft Behind the London Flight
G-EUXD is a 22 year old Airbus A321-231, according to its Planespotters airframe record. The aircraft carries manufacturer serial number 2320 and first flew on 6 October 2004 from the Airbus production site in Hamburg under the test registration D-AVZO.
British Airways took delivery of the jet on 28 October 2004. Two IAE V2533-A5 engines power the aircraft, and it now flies in a 218 seat configuration.
The airframe has a varied history. British Airways stored it at Bournemouth from March 2020, moved it to Glasgow that July and then to Madrid in November 2020. It returned to service on 6 July 2022 after more than two years on the ground.
BA Euroflyer and Its London Gatwick Operation
Since 21 March 2023, G-EUXD has flown for BA Euroflyer, the British Airways subsidiary that operates the airline’s short haul network from London Gatwick. The aircraft still carries full British Airways branding and operates under BA flight numbers.
BA Euroflyer serves leisure markets such as Faro, Malaga and the Canary Islands, alongside a range of European city routes. The A321 fleet gives the operation extra capacity on its busiest holiday routes out of London.
What Happens Next
Engineers will now inspect G-EUXD to establish which layer of the window failed and why. A cracked pane usually requires a window replacement before the aircraft can return to service, so the jet may spend some time out of the schedule.
British Airways will need to rearrange its fleet to cover the return flight to London and any onward rotations planned for G-EUXD. Passengers booked on those services may experience delays while the airline arranges a replacement aircraft.
The Aviation Hub will continue to track this emergency on our Squawk 7700 page as further details emerge.
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