UK-bound flight diverts to Portugal after pilot suffers heart attack mid-air: Reports

A Jet2 flight travelling from Tenerife, Spain, to Birmingham, UK, was forced to make an emergency diversion to Portugal after the captain reportedly suffered a suspected heart attack while the aircraft was cruising at 30,000 feet.

The incident reportedly took place on Flight LS1266 in the early hours of Friday while the aircraft, carrying around 220 passengers.

As per reports, the plane suddenly descended and made an unscheduled landing at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport in Porto at around 2.11 am local time.

Passengers described tense scenes onboard as cabin crew rushed through the aisle asking whether any passengers had medical training.

Several passengers said lights flickered during the rapid descent and children began crying as the aircraft lost altitude quickly before the emergency landing. 

Emergency services reportedly boarded the aircraft immediately after landing, and medical personnel attended to the pilot inside the cockpit before he was taken to hospital.

Passengers remained onboard for more than an hour before being allowed to disembark, reports said.

Travellers later spent nearly 13 hours at the airport terminal while the airline arranged a replacement crew and aircraft.

According to passengers quoted in British media reports, a replacement pilot was flown in from Manchester before the passengers continued their journey to Birmingham later on another aircraft.

Some passengers reportedly complained about the lengthy delay and lack of accommodation during the disruption while being stranded in Portugal for over 13 hours.

The passenger added that the airline had informed travellers that the pilot had suffered a heart attack during the flight.

Jet2, however, said only that one of the pilots had become unwell and stressed that passenger safety had not been compromised at any point.

“Flight LS1266 from Tenerife to Birmingham diverted to Porto on Thursday due to one of the pilots feeling unwell,” the airline reportedly said in a statement quoted by British media.

“At no point was safety compromised, and customers subsequently continued their journey. We would like to apologise to customers for this unforeseen delay,” the airline added.