Transatlantic flight makes unscheduled landing in Shannon after man falls ill
A transatlantic flight has made an unscheduled landing at Shannon Airport this evening after a passenger fell ill.
British Airways flight BA-2233 was travelling from Gatwick Airport in England to the British island territory of Bermuda when the crew made a U-turn over the Atlantic.
The flight had departed at around 3.45pm and was about two hours into its journey when the crew turned around and diverted to Shannon.
The crew advised air traffic controllers that they wished to reroute to Shannon to seek medical attention for the passenger.
The patient is understood to be a man in his 50s however details of his illness are not known. He was cared for on board by flight attendants during the one hour flight to Shannon.
The Boeing 777-200 jet landed safely at around 7.10pm and was met at the terminal by National Ambulance Service paramedics and a doctor. The patient was transported to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.
The flight was able to continue its journey at 8.45pm.
So far this year, Shannon Airport has dealt with over 30 unscheduled landings of which 9 were emergency medical diversions.
In one sad incident, in February, an elderly passenger passed away before her flight landed despite the best efforts of crew members to resuscitate her.
