A flight from New York to London diverted to Shannon Airport this morning after the crew declared a medical emergency over the Atlantic.
British Airways flight BA-114 from New York (JFK) to London’s Heathrow Airport was about 300 kilometres southwest of Ireland and 450 kilometres from Shannon at the time.
The flight crew issued a Pan-pan radio call and advised air traffic controllers of their situation. A Pan-pan is not as serious as a May-day call but still indicates an urgency on board.
The crew reported they had a female passenger on board who was being cared for by a number of doctors and requested clearance to divert to Shannon. The crew also asked that emergency medical assistance be available for their arrival.
Airport authorities were advised of the incoming emergency while the National Ambulance Service was contacted and requested to dispatch resources to the airport.
The Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner landed at Shannon at 8.53am and was met at the terminal by airport staff and paramedics.
The patient was assessed at the airport before being transported by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.
The flight resumed its journey to Heathrow at 10.50am.
Earlier, two flights diverted to Shannon from Dublin Airport because of high winds associated with Storm Chandra.
European Air Transport flight QY-2882 from Leipzig, Germany to Dublin made two attempts to land at Dublin but had to abort on both occasions. The crew of the cargo flight opted to divert to Shannon instead.
Meanwhile, a passenger flight from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates also diverted to Shannon after it was unable to land at Dublin.
Etihad flight EY-45 made one attempt to land at Dublin before entering a holding pattern for a short time to see if conditions would improve. The crew later decided to divert to Shannon.
The Boeing 777-3FX(ER) jet landed at Shannon at 7.25am. The passengers were later deplaned and are expected to be transported to Dublin by a fleet of coaches this morning.
A spokesperson for The Shannon Airport Group has confirmed that Shannon Airport currently remains unaffected by Storm Chandra and continues to operate a full schedule as normal today.
Earlier this morning, Etihad Airways flight EY45 from Abu Dhabi to Dublin diverted to Shannon due to high winds at Dublin Airport. The aircraft landed safely at 7:26am, and passengers continued their journey to Dublin by coach.
A Titan Airways cargo service was also diverted from Dublin due to the weather conditions. Separately, Shannon Airport accepted a medical diversion this morning. British Airways flight BA114 from New York JFK to London Heathrow landed safely at 8:56am, and a passenger was transferred to University Hospital Limerick.