An Airbus A380 took a 7-hour flight to nowhere after U-turning over central Africa

A British Airways Airbus A380. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images British Airways passengers spent seven hours on an airplane only to end up back where they started.Flight 54 departed Johannesburg last Saturday, bound for London, a journey that typically lasts around 10-and-a-half hours. It took off more than five hours behind schedule, at 2:45 a.m. local time.While it isn't clear how many people were on board, the flight was operated by an Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger plane, with 469 seats in BA's configuration.The double-decker jet flew north for about two hours before U-turning over the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to data from Flightradar24.It headed back towards Johannesburg, but entered a holding pattern just north of the city.The quad-engine A380 would have been carrying huge amounts of fuel for its lengthy journey, which the pilots would need to jettison to reduce the airplane's weight and ensure a safe landing.Flight-tracking data shows it flew in a circle for over two hours before coming in to land.Online aviation enthusiasts picked up a text message sent via the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, or ACARS, citing issues with the airplane's weather radar — a key safety system so pilots can avoid storms."We're sorry for the inconvenience caused to customers after their aircraft returned to Johannesburg due to a technical issue," a BA spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider."Following the aircraft's return, our teams provided overnight accommodation and support, and worked to minimise disruption," they added. Read next Pete Syme is an aviation reporter for Business Insider, based in London.He writes about all things related to the industry, such as flight diversions, aviation safety, airline updates, travel tips, plane tours, and aviation leaders.Pete has appeared on BBC News to discuss a Heathrow Airport closure and on Sky News to talk about Boeing.Before joining Business Insider in 2022, he graduated with an MA in Newspaper Journalism from City, University of London. While getting his BA in English from the University of Exeter, he was the award-winning deputy editor of the student newspaper, Exeposé.You can get in touch by emailing psyme@businessinsider.com or via Signal @syme.99. British Airways Aviation Airlines More