Passengers Spent Eight Hours On Flight Only To End Up At Same Airport

Passengers aboard United Airlines Flight UA948 from San Francisco to London faced an unexpected eight-hour journey back to their starting point on Tuesday (July 15) due to a technical issue. The Boeing 777-200ER departed San Francisco International Airport at 4:41 p.m. local time but was forced to make a U-turn near the U.S.-Canada border, northwest of Winnipeg, after the crew identified a technical problem.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, United Airlines informed passengers via its mobile app that the decision to return was made out of precaution, with no immediate threat to safety. The aircraft, which was initially scheduled to land at London Heathrow at 10:25 a.m. local time on July 16, touched down back in San Francisco just after midnight.

Passengers were informed that their safety was the airline's top priority. The rescheduled flight, set to depart at 1:18 a.m. on July 16, was also canceled to address the technical issue further.