appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

SCMP Reporter

A VIRGIN Atlantic Airways flight to Hong Kong was yesterday forced to make an unscheduled eight-hour stop in Moscow and then return to London after it flew over the Russian capital without permission.

  Flight VS200 was on a new route over Moscow that was designed to make non-stop operations easier.

  But, the airline admitted last night, it had not filed a proper flight plan, and said there would be a 'full investigation'.

  The Airbus A340, carrying 255 passengers including two in flight attendants' seats, left London Heathrow airport at 8.30 pm (London time).

  At 3.28 am (Moscow time), it touched down at the Russian capital's airport and was not allowed to leave the city until 11.33 am.

  The plane, which was to have arrived at Kai Tak at 5 pm, had to return to London because of international safety regulations limiting the number of hours crew are allowed to work. It landed at 12.20 pm (London time).

  Passengers were then transferred to the Edwardian Hotel near the airport for a short stay, before the newly numbered flight, VS1200, was to have departed again for Hong Kong at 9.30 pm (London time) - 25 hours late.

  Virgin, which normally has one London-Hong Kong flight a day, was to have had two Kai Tak arrivals today, the first at 5 pm and the second at 6.15 pm, because of the passenger and cargo demands from the cancelled flight.

  The airline said it would not use the new route on either flight today.



Virgin's Moscow blunder