Concorde in emergency scare

A Concorde jet lifts off at the start of a supersonic flight

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A Concorde jet bound for New York has been forced to return to London after suffering technical problems, authorities said.

British Airways flight 001 landed safely at Heathrow airport after the pilot turned the aircraft around while it was over the Atlantic Ocean. It had been heading for New York's John F. Kennedy Airport.

There are reports the supersonic jet suffered an engine failure, but officials at British Airways would only say there had been a technical problem.

News the flight was in trouble prompted fears of a possible disaster, but aviation officials called the incident "routine."

Air France stopped operating its Concorde fleet after a crash in the Paris suburb of Gonesse on July 25, 2000, that killed 109 people on the plane and four on the ground. British authorities followed suit weeks later.

Both airlines have since resumed Concorde flights.