Update – 7.21pm – Delta flight DL-53 has resumed its journey to New York.
Earlier: A transatlantic flight diverted to Shannon Airport this afternoon so that medical attention could be sought for an ill passenger.
Delta Air Lines flight DL-53 was travelling from Zurich, Switzerland to New York in the US at the time. The flight was just over two hours into its journey and around 420 kilometres west of Shannon Airport when the crew declared a medical emergency and turned around.
The crew of the Airbus A330-200 jet had been in contact with their own operations centre as well as medical professionals on the ground before they requested clearance to divert to Shannon Airport.
The crew asked that emergency medical services be available for the aircraft on arrival confirming they had an elderly male passenger who required medical attention.
The National Ambulance Service was alerted and requested to dispatch resources to the airport. An ambulance and paramedic response vehicle were mobilised to the incident.
On the ground at Shannon, the airport’s own fire and rescue service was notified and placed on standby as a precaution.
The flight landed safely at 3.59pm and taxied to the terminal accompanied by fire crews. Ambulance paramedics were standing by to board the aircraft and assess the patient who was later transported to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.
It’s not yet clear when the flight will continue its journey.
