Flight diversion to Heathrow: Mystery deepens as passengers challenge Stanley Johnson claims

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Passengers who were on the British Airways flight from Malaga diverted to Heathrow airport last Friday have challenged Stanley Johnson’s version of events. Writing for The Independent, Mr Johnson said that as the aircraft landed the captain invited “any passengers without luggage in the hold to disembark at Heathrow if they wanted to”. “At this point Mr Johnson took his bag and with a female passenger in tow walked to the front of the plane and demanded to get off.” Mr Davenport said that after a further 15 or 20 minutes, “the pilot made an announcement that he could not prevent passengers departing if they refused to fly”. Mr Davenport concluded: “It was Johnson’s action that caused the pilot to divert from his plan to refuel and fly to Gatwick, and the subsequent delay in sorting that out caused the cancellation of the flight.” Mystery surrounds the female passenger who joined Mr Johnson in seeking to leave the flight at Heathrow.