A Qatar Airways Boeing 787-8 was forced to return to Lagos shortly after departure on Jan 16th, 2026, after the crew detected a critical failure in the aircraft’s oxygen system while climbing to cruise altitude.
The aircraft, registered A7-BCL and operating flight QR-1406 from Lagos, Nigeria to Doha, Qatar, was carrying 248 passengers and 12 crew when the issue occurred. As the jet climbed through approximately flight level 220, the flight crew reported a malfunction affecting the onboard oxygen system, prompting immediate action.
To ensure the safety of everyone on board, the pilots initiated a rapid descent to around 10,000 feet, an altitude where supplemental oxygen is not required, and then made the decision to return to their departure airport. The Boeing 787 landed safely back in Lagos on runway 18R roughly one hour after the climb was halted, with emergency services standing by as a precaution.
Although the landing itself was uneventful, the impact of the incident continued well after touchdown. Nearly two days later, the aircraft remained grounded in Lagos, approximately 47 hours after its return, indicating that maintenance crews were conducting extensive inspections and repairs before clearing the jet for further operations.
Qatar Airways has not yet released details about the root cause of the oxygen system failure. Incidents involving critical systems are treated with the highest priority in commercial aviation, and the aircraft will only return to service once all required safety checks and regulatory approvals are completed.
