Update:
12.30pm – The aircraft that diverted yesterday was grounded at Shannon as the crew could not continue the journey without exceeding their allowed duty hours. A replacement aircraft has been flown to Shannon to take the passengers onto their destination.
11.20pm – The flight, which was due to continue its journey this evening, has since been cancelled. The passengers and crew are expected to be accommodated in local hotels overnight.
The flight had been rescheduled to depart at 9.00am on Wednesday but the departure time was changed several times during the day.
A transatlantic jet has made an unscheduled landing at Shannon Airport this afternoon after the crew declared an emergency off the north coast of Ireland.
United Airlines flight UA-47 was travelling from Frankfurt, Germany to Houston, Texas in the US at the time.
The Boeing 787-900 jet was about 180 kms northwest of Donegal at around 2.50pm when the crew declared a medical emergency and requested clearance to divert to Shannon. There were 246 passengers and crew on board.
The flight flew north for a time before turning again and routing to Shannon. The crew also request permission to dump fuel en-route to ensure they touched down within safe landing weight limits.
Shannon Airport fire and rescue crews were deployed to strategic locations alongside the runway in advance of the jet’s arrival. This is standard procedure at Shannon when an aircraft has dumped aviation fuel before landing.
The flight touched down safely at 3.56pm and was met at the terminal by airport authorities and National Ambulance Service paramedics.
Details of the patient or their condition are not known but it’s understood the young passenger was transported to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.
The flight is expected to resume its journey to Houston once the aircraft has been refuelled and the crew receives a new flight plan.
