The United Airlines plane was heading for San Francisco when it had to make an emergency U-turn following the incident shortly after leaving London.
The 949 flight left the English capital at 2.05pm on Thursday and reported a “burning smell” at around 4.40pm.
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The airline confirmed the emergency landing, adding that customers were provided with hotel accommodations and were rebooked on other flights to their destinations.
A United Airlines spokesperson said: “United flight 949 safely landed in Edinburgh to address a burning smell.
“We provided customers with hotel accommodations and rebooked them on other flights to their destinations.”