"Thomson Airways can confirm that flight TOM126 travelling from Manchester to Sanford, Florida, experienced a technical issue and the aircraft returned to Manchester Airport, as a precautionary measure," the airline said in a statement.
"Passengers have disembarked and our dedicated team of engineers are now inspecting the aircraft."
A spokesman for Manchester Airport in northwest England confirmed that the plane was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and said it had landed safely at around 1640 GMT.
Heathrow was shut down for around an hour-and-a- half. The airport announced at 1700 GMT that services were resuming, but warned passengers to expect delays.
Television images showed the Dreamliner surrounded by pools of foam, with three fire engines on the scene.
The two incidents come after Boeing temporarily withdrew the Dreamliner from service earlier this year for modifications after concerns that batteries on board could cause fires.