A transatlantic flight has diverted to Shannon Airport after a crew member was reported to have fallen ill.
Delta Air Lines flight DL-81 was travelling from Brussels in Belgium to Atlanta in the US. There were 136 passengers and crew on board.
It’s not yet clear whether the ill crew member is one of the pilots or a flight attendant. The crew declared a medical emergency and told air traffic controllers that the crew member was ‘very ill’.
The flight was about two hours into its journey when the crew contacted air traffic controllers to advise them of their emergency. The crew requested permission to turn around and divert to Shannon requesting emergency medical services to be standing by for their arrival.
The Boeing 767-330 jet landed safely at 2.23pm and was met at the terminal by ambulance paramedics and a doctor.
The flight has been cancelled and passengers will be accommodated in local hotels overnight. They are expected to continue their journey tomorrow (Thursday).
Last January, a Norwegian Air Shuttle flight diverted to Shannon after the captain fell ill.
Flight DY-7042 was travelling from Florida to Copenhagen when co-pilot declared a medical emergency reporting that the a ‘crew member’ had fallen ill. The airline later since confirmed it was the captain.