A British Airways cabin manager accidentally activated an emergency slide on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, causing a brief delay in Mumbai. The incident occurred on January 4, as the aircraft was taxiing to the gate after an 8-hour flight from London Heathrow with passengers on board.
The emergency slide at the forward left-hand door was deployed during an impromptu demonstration by the cabin manager to a colleague about emergency door operations. This marks the fourth such incident in less than a year involving British Airways crew and inadvertent slide deployments.
Previous incidents include a new-hire activating a slide on a Boeing 777 at Heathrow, another on an Airbus A350, and a similar occurrence on an Airbus A320 in Madrid. These were primarily due to the failure to disarm the slide mechanism before opening the door.
In response, British Airways has adopted the Japanese practice of Shisa Kanko, translating to ‘pointing and calling’, to enhance safety. This method, effective in reducing workplace accidents, involves vocal and physical confirmation of whether a door is armed or disarmed.
Despite the mishap, the aircraft returned to London after a delay of just over an hour. Engineers quickly removed the slide, and the aircraft was thoroughly inspected before departure. British Airways issued an apology for the delay, emphasizing passenger safety and the comprehensive check by qualified engineers.