US-bound United Airlines flight returns to London after 'maintenance issue'

A U.S.-bound United Airlines flight is returning to London's Heathrow airport following a maintenance issue, the airline said in a statement on Wednesday.

Flight UA28 to Newark, New Jersey, had been circling off the south coast of England for about two hours.

"United Airlines flight UA28...with 227 customers and a crew of 13 on board, is returning to Heathrow because of a maintenance issue," United said in a statement emailed to Reuters.