Virgin jet engineer killed in accident at Heathrow

A Virgin Atlantic engineer has died while carrying out maintenance work on a commercial airplane at Heathrow Airport.

Georgie Buxton is believed to have been working on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner when he was seriously injured. He died later in hospital.

Virgin Atlantic said it was "heartbroken" to confirm the death of a "much-loved" member of its engineering team and said it was working with relevant authorities to establish what happened.

The Metropolitan Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed they have begun a joint investigation. An inquest is due to be opened into his death.

According to his LinkedIn page, Buxton, thought to have been in his twenties, started working for Virgin Atlantic two years ago.

He described himself as a "highly dedicated worker" who had an "immense passion for aircraft engineering" in his employment profile.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are firmly with Georgie's family, loved ones, friends and colleagues at this incredibly sad and challenging time.

"We're providing support to loved ones wherever we can and sharing our heartfelt condolences to everyone affected.

"The safety and wellbeing of our people is always our top priority, and we are devastated by this incident."

A representative for Heathrow Airport said: "Our thoughts are with Georgie's family and friends, as well as all of our colleagues in the wider Virgin Atlantic family who feel this loss."

The HSE said: "We are investigating this incident jointly with The Metropolitan Police."

Boeing, which manufactures the Dreamliner, has declined to comment.

The Dreamliner can carry up to 325 passengers to long-haul destinations and is 206ft (62.8 m) long.

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