LONDON – Passengers on a British Airways (BA) Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner were left battling 14 hours of blazing sunshine after the aircraft’s electronic window dimming system failed on one side of the cabin.
The fault occurred on British Airways flight BA6, travelling from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) to London Heathrow (LHR), leaving affected travellers squinting through relentless daylight for most of the ultra-long-haul journey.
The flight crew was already aware of the issue before departure from Tokyo. Engineers inspected the problem on the ground but, despite their best efforts, were unable to restore the window dimming system.
In a quick attempt to remedy the situation, maintenance staff resorted to an improvised fix. Paper tray liners were fashioned into makeshift window covers, secured with adhesive tape.
However, the temporary solution didn’t quite cut it. One passenger described the ordeal, saying she had to use her safety information card to block out even more light in a desperate bid for rest.
“The automatic window dimmers on our side of the cabin were not functioning correctly, leaving us exposed to bright daylight for much of the flight,” – Passenger in a Facebook post on a British Airways complaints page.
Flight BA6 typically departs Tokyo around 1 PM local time. The eastbound route sends the Dreamliner soaring across the Pacific, Canada, and the Atlantic, before touching down in London.
Because the aircraft remains in daylight throughout the majority of the journey, functioning window dimmers are critical for ensuring a comfortable travel experience. Without them, many passengers struggled to find any respite from the glare.
The experience clearly left a sour taste. Summarising the ordeal in her social media post, the affected passenger said: “Just didn’t feel very premium at all.” She also queried about possible compensation for the inconvenience endured.
This incident underscores just how reliant modern air travel has become on advanced technologies – and how the smallest failures can significantly affect passenger comfort, especially on marathon flights.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner introduced a revolutionary window design, replacing traditional pull-down shades with an electronic dimming system.
Manufactured by Gentex, the system uses electrochromic technology. An electric current is passed through a transparent gel sandwiched between window panes, allowing passengers to adjust the tint across five different settings – from fully transparent to heavily darkened.
Yet, even at the darkest setting, some light can still penetrate – a frequent complaint among flyers. When the system fails entirely, however, the aircraft cabin becomes a suntrap, as this latest British Airways incident has shown.
The window dimming malfunction aboard BA6 highlighted both the ingenuity of the crew and the challenges of modern aviation technology.
While quick thinking kept the situation manageable, the incident has once again sparked conversations around passenger expectations on premium long-haul services.
For British Airways, ensuring every part of their aircraft performs flawlessly remains crucial to maintaining their reputation, especially when daylight never gives passengers a break.
