British Airways Files $293,000 Lawsuit Against Boston Airport Over A380 Damage

BOSTON- UK-based British Airways (BA) has sued the operator of Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) for hundreds of thousands of dollars after one of its Airbus A380 superjumbo jets was severely damaged by faulty airport ground equipment.

The incident happened in June 2022, but details only became public when the airline filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), the state agency that runs Boston Logan. BA claims the damage grounded the aircraft for weeks and cost the airline at least $293,000 in repairs and operational expenses.

Photo: Siddh Dhuri | MumbaiPlanes

British Airways Sues Boston

Court filings state that the aircraft involved, a nine-year-old Airbus A380 registered G-XLEL, had flown from London Heathrow (LHR) to Boston (BOS) on June 8, 2022.

Upon arrival, it was parked at its assigned gate and connected to the airport’s power supply, which normally runs through an outlet in the jetbridge.

That day, however, the jetbridge’s power unit was out of service. Instead, a mobile Ground Power Unit (GPU) was used. British Airways alleges this substitute unit malfunctioned, causing major damage to multiple electrical systems on the aircraft.

The airline says the problem was so severe that it had to cancel the return flight to London immediately, leaving hundreds of passengers and crew stranded in Boston, PYOK reported.

Photo: Clément Alloing

Repairs Required Complex Logistics

The damaged aircraft had only recently returned to service after being stored during the pandemic. It had been reactivated in November 2021, but the June 2022 incident forced it back out of operation.

BA faced a logistical challenge in arranging repairs. The airline had no local maintenance contracts in Boston with the necessary expertise to handle A380 electrical systems. Engineers had to tow the aircraft to a remote stand, remove key components, and fly them to London for assessment and repair.

Even after repairs were complete, the aircraft could not resume service from Boston. It had to be ferried back to London empty before re-entering commercial operation weeks later.

Legal Action and Settlement

British Airways filed the lawsuit against Massport exactly three years and one day after the incident. The claim sought at least $293,000 to recover repair costs and related expenses. The airline also named the manufacturer of the faulty GPU in its legal action.

While it’s likely that BA tried to negotiate compensation beforehand, the lawsuit appears to have accelerated discussions.

Shortly after court documents were served, British Airways informed the court that an out-of-court settlement had been reached. The settlement amount remains confidential.

Photo: MCO Airport

British Airways’ Airbus A380 Fleet

British Airways operates 12 Airbus A380 aircraft, with G-XLEL being one of the newest, delivered in 2016. Later this year, the airline plans to start an extensive refurbishment program for the fleet.

The new configuration will feature upgraded First Class suites, the airline’s latest Club World (business class) seats, and refreshed World Traveller and World Traveller Plus cabins.

The refurbished aircraft will offer 12–14 First suites, 110 Club World suites, 84 World Traveller Plus seats, and 215 World Traveller seats. This will reduce overall capacity in favor of a more premium-heavy layout.

The first refurbished A380 is expected to re-enter service in mid-2026, although timelines are subject to change.

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