A US-bound passenger jet diverted to Shannon Airport this evening after the crew declared a medical emergency over the North Atlantic.
Austrian Airlines flight OS-87 was travelling from Vienna, Austria to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York at the time. The Boeing 767-300(ER) jet had earlier passed through Irish airspace and had commenced its oceanic crossing earlier.
When the flight was about 800 kilometres west of Ireland and over three hours into its journey, the crew declared a medical emergency and turned around. The flight crew advised air traffic controllers here that they wished to divert to Shannon Airport and requested emergency medical services to be standing by.
The National Ambulance Service was alerted and paramedics were sent to the airport ahead of the jet’s arrival. The flight landed safely at 8.31pm and was met at the terminal by airport staff and ambulance paramedics. It’s understood that the ill patient was removed to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.
The flight resumed its journey at 8.40pm.
