On April 6, 2024, a Boeing 787-9 operated by Virgin Airlines and an Airbus A350-1000 operated by British Airways made unpleasant acquaintances at London Heathrow Airport. There was only material damage.

The Dreamliner with the registration G-VDIA was pushed back from the gate on April 6, 2024 as part of the so-called pushback process. A mishap occurred because the winglet of the Boeing 787-9 operated by Virgin Airlines touched the vertical tail of the British Airways Airbus A350-100 with the registration G-XWBC.

The latter aircraft was soon scheduled to fly to Accra as BA81. This did not initially happen because of the ground incident. According to official information, both long-haul aircraft suffered damage. But there were no injuries, so it was just material damage.

For safety reasons, the affected airlines have temporarily withdrawn the two aircraft that were involved in the incident from service. Both airlines must extensively examine their aircraft and repair the damage. This can take a lot of time. According to British Airways, the passengers on flight BA81 were taken to their destination on a replacement aircraft. The G-XWBB was used, but this jet was not immediately available. The travelers first had to wait to return to London Heathrow, so there was a 6,5-hour delay.

The British Air Accident Investigation Authority has already announced that an investigation has been opened. It should also be noted that both the fire brigade and the rescue service were made available as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, the services of the emergency services were not required. In such cases, it is common for fire and rescue services to be on hand as a purely precautionary measure.