Virgin Atlantic flight forced to stop due to missing parts of the wing

A Virgin Atlantic flight from Manchester to New York faced a last-minute cancellation as a vigilant passenger discovered faulty bolts on the plane's wing.

As Daily Mail reports, this incident follows closely on the heels of another emergency landing by a Virgin plane in Manchester just two weeks ago due to cockpit smoke.

The VS127 flight to JFK International Airport was halted for maintenance checks after a passenger noticed missing fasteners on a wing panel. Though the missing tops did not compromise the wing's structural integrity, the decision to cancel was deemed a precautionary measure.

Earlier this month, a Virgin Atlantic flight to Barbados had to return to Manchester due to smoke in the cockpit, highlighting a recent string of issues for the airline.

Airbus Local Chief Wing Engineer Neil Firth clarified that the missing tops on the affected wing panel did not impact the plane's safety.

Despite the cancellation, passengers on the troubled plane eventually reached New York through alternative flights. Virgin Atlantic emphasized that the safety of customers and crew remains their top priority, reassuring that industry safety standards were exceeded, and the aircraft is now back in service.

Apologizing for the inconvenience caused, a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson stated, "The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and this was not compromised at any point."

The airline aims to instill confidence in travelers, ensuring they operate well above industry safety standards.

[With information sourced from Daily Mail]