A transatlantic jet diverted to Shannon Airport this morning after a passenger suddenly fell ill on board.
British Airways flight BA-192 was travelling from Dallas in the US state of Texas to Heathrow Airport in London at the time. The Boeing 787-100 Dreamliner jet was about an hour from London when the crew advised air traffic controllers that they would need to divert to Shannon.
At around 7.40am, as the flight was tracking towards the Kerry coast to pass over Ireland, the crew turned towards Shannon Airport. The flight crew declared a medical emergency reporting they had a female passenger on board who was complaining of feeling unwell.
The crew reported that the woman was unconscious and suffering from fits. After consulting with medical professionals on the ground, the crew was advised not to continue to London but to divert to the nearest suitable airport instead.
On the ground at Shannon, National Ambulance Service paramedics and a local doctor were requested to respond to the airport ahead of the jet’s arrival.
The flight landed safely at 8.05am and was met at the terminal my medical personnel. The passenger was assessed at the airport before being transported by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.
The flight continued its journey to London shortly after 9.15am.
Meanwhile, later in the morning, a small jet operating as an air ambulance was forced to return to Shannon after reporting an issue on board soon after takeoff.
The Hawker 800XP took off at around 11.15am and was bound for Reykjavik in Iceland when almost immediately the crew informed controllers of an issue on board. It’s understood the problem was associated with the aircraft’s navigation equipment.
The crew spent around 40 minutes burning off fuel before returning to the airport and landing safely at around 12.30pm.