A virgin flight to New York was forced to return after the co-pilot confessed he was still in training.

The plane was 40 minutes into its transatlantic flight when the first officer notified the astonished captain that he had yet to finish his final flight test.

Passengers en route to the United States were subsequently delayed for over three hours as the Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330 returned to Heathrow, where it sat on the runway as panicked staff looked for an experienced substitute.

Virgin Atlantic apologised for the gaffe on Monday, which company blamed on a roster error.

“You could have cut the tension in the cockpit with a knife,” a source told a magazine.

“The plane made it as far as Ireland before they discovered the first officer was still in training.”

The captain had no choice but to return to Heathrow and get a more experienced crew member.

“It was humiliating for everyone, and the passengers were enraged.”

First officers are certified pilots who are in charge of the flight’s safety.

They also assist the captain in controlling the plane and communicating with air traffic control.

To comply with Virgin Atlantic regulation, Monday’s co-pilot out of Heathrow, who joined the airline in 2017, required a “final evaluation flight” with a trainee captain.

The airline stated that the plane’s safety had not been jeopardised.

“Due to a rostering issue, flight VS3 from London Heathrow to New York-JFK returned to Heathrow soon after take-off on Monday 2nd May,” a spokeswoman said.

To guarantee full compliance with Virgin Atlantic’s training requirements, which surpass industry norms, the certified first officer, who was flying with an experienced captain, was replaced with a fresh pilot.

“We apologise for any difficulty given to our clients who arrived two hours and forty minutes later than planned due to the crew change.”

“Virgin Atlantic has made us aware of the issue,” a Civil Aviation Authority spokeswoman stated.

“Both pilots were appropriately licenced and qualified to fly the flight.”