A transatlantic jet diverted to Shannon Airport this morning after the crew declared a medical emergency.
Westjet Airlines flight WS-3 was travelling from Toronto, Canada to Gatwick Airport in England at the time.
The Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner jet was about 330kms southwest of Kerry and 460kms from Shannon when the flight crew made contact with air traffic controllers in Ireland at around 7.40am to advise them of their emergency.
Controllers at the Irish Aviation Authority’s North Atlantic Communications Centre at Ballygirreen in Co Clare cleared the flight to reroute to Shannon where authorities there had been notified. The National Ambulance Service was also contacted and requested to dispatch resources to the airport.
The flight landed at 8.15am and was met on arrival by airport authorities and ambulance paramedics. The passenger was removed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick for treatment. No details are available about the patient.
The flight continued its journey to Gatwick at 9.41am.
