13 January 2023 , 12:03
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An emergency evacuation slide has been accidentally deployed on the runway at Heathrow Airport.
A British Airways Boeing 777 jet had the escape route method triggered shortly after 11am this morning.
There are no reports of any injuries connected with the incident, which is thought to have been an accident.
The British Airways Boeing 777-200ER was being pushed back from Terminal five at London Heathrow when the incident occurred, according to an emergency alert from specialist website AirLive.
A BA spokesperson said: "The aircraft returned to stand and customers disembarked normally.
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"We've apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused, have provided them with refreshment vouchers and have arranged a replacement aircraft so that they can continue their journey as planned."
The aircraft – registration reg. G-VIIK – was due to take off, bound for Lagos, Nigeria, at 10.10 this morning.
Passengers have been told that an alternative flight will be ready to leave at 1pm this afternoon.
It may take hours to bring back the aircraft in line and operational, according to Airlive.
Huge inflatable slides can be up to 14 metres (or 46 ft) long, are a crucial part of an aircraft’s safety kit.
On the airline's website British Airways licensed engineer Peter Dyer has previously explained that every commercial aircraft is fitted with evacuation slides.
These systems are checked on an almost daily basis and the airline’s engineers also frequently ‘blow’ the slides to ensure they work properly.
British Airways’ Boeing 777-200 planes are fitted with eight slides to ensure all passengers can get off quickly in the event of an emergency.