http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/n...cdf9d8&k=21157

An Air Canada flight that blew a tire during takeoff in Calgary landed safely in Toronto early Wednesday morning.

Air Canada Flight 850, carrying 225 passengers and 13 crew members, had been en route to London Tuesday night, but was diverted to Toronto for safety reasons, an Air Canada spokesman said.

The plane landed without incident in_Toronto shortly after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. Passengers are expected to board another Air Canada flight to London around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Officials first planned on returning the flight to Calgary, but Air Canada opted instead to land the jet at Toronto's Pearson airport.

With a full fuel tank, the plane "is very heavy when it takes off," Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said. Landing with such a heavy load can damage the plane, Fitzpatrick said, so the crew decided to go on to Toronto.

Toronto is also Air Canada's main hub, Fitzpatrick said, making it easier to find an extra aircraft and fresh crew to continue the flight on to London.

The plane's landing gears are equipped with a total of eight tires - two in the front and three for each wing - so landing without one isn't considered a risk, Fitzpatrick said.

"They're designed to be able to land with less than a full complement," he said, adding he didn't know which tire had blown.

With files from the Calgary Herald