A Jet2 flight from Tenerife to Birmingham was forced to make an emergency landing in Portugal after the pilot suffered a suspected heart attack at 30,000 feet. The aircraft, carrying up to 220 passengers, suddenly dropped in altitude as the first officer took control.
Witnesses reported that flight attendants ran down the aisle in tears, asking if any passengers were medically trained to assist in the cockpit. The plane landed at Porto's Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport at 2:11 am on Friday, May 22, where emergency services rushed the pilot to hospital.
Passengers were stranded at the airport for over 13 hours without accommodation, according to one traveler. Jet2 later flew a pilot from Manchester to Porto to bring the passengers back to the UK. The airline offered affected passengers free changes to any of its 14 UK destinations within the next week.
Jet2 confirmed the diversion was due to one of the pilots feeling unwell, stating that safety was never compromised. The airline apologized for the unforeseen delay.
