A Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow to Orlando returned to its departure airport on July 13 after spending around two hours circling over the coast of Ireland before abandoning its transatlantic journey.

Flight VS135, operated by an Airbus A350-1000, departed London Heathrow Airport (LHR) as scheduled for Orlando International Airport (MCO). However, approximately one hour into the flight, the aircraft entered a prolonged holding pattern over the Irish coast.

According to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24, the Airbus A350-1000 remained in a series of holding patterns for roughly two hours, repeatedly circling while the crew assessed the situation.

After the extended hold, the aircraft turned around and headed back to London Heathrow, where it landed safely shortly before 7:00 p.m. local time.

Virgin Atlantic had not immediately disclosed the reason for the prolonged holding pattern or the subsequent return to Heathrow.