A transatlantic flight made an unscheduled landing at Shannon Airport this evening after the crew declared a medical emergency.
Saudi Airlines flight SV-20 was travelling from New York’s JFK International Airport to King Abdulaziz International in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The flight was about five hours into 12 hour and 35 minute journey when the crew contacted air traffic controllers to request clearance to divert to Shannon Airport.
Airport authorities were alerted while the National Ambulance Service was also requested to dispatched resources to the airport.
The crew also requested permission to dump fuel over the Atlantic to ensure they could touch down within safe landing weight limits. As a result, the airport’s fire and rescue service was placed on standby ahead of the jet’s arrival. This is standard procedure for any aircraft that lands at Shannon after having to jettison aviation fuel
The Boeing 777-300(ER) jet landed at 9.47pm and was met on arrival by airport fire and rescue crews who accompanied the aircraft to the terminal. Fire crews carried out a visual check of the jet’s undercarriage to ensure it hadn’t overheated during the emergency landing.
The passenger was assessed at the airport before being transported to University Hospital Limerick for further examination.
*The flight resumed its journey at 11.50pm.
