A flight traveling from a popular tourist destination to the United Kingdom had to change its course to Portugal following the pilot’s suspected heart attack during the journey. The incident took place in the early hours of May 22 while Jet2 Flight LS1266 was en route from Tenerife to Birmingham at an altitude of 30,000 feet. The aircraft, carrying 220 passengers, made an unexpected landing at Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport near Porto, Portugal.
Passengers onboard reported that the cabin crew swiftly responded to the situation by seeking medical assistance from anyone with relevant training. The descent was marked by flickering lights and distress among passengers, particularly children who were alarmed by the sudden drop in altitude.
One passenger recounted waking up to chaos onboard as lights flashed and crew urgently sought medical aid. The emergency landing in Porto occurred at 2:11 am local time, with medical personnel boarding the aircraft immediately to attend to the pilot before transferring him to a hospital.
Following the incident, passengers remained on the plane for over an hour before disembarking. Subsequently, they spent approximately 13 hours in the terminal while the airline arranged for replacement crew. A pilot was flown in from Manchester to transport the travelers to Birmingham on a different aircraft.
Some passengers expressed dissatisfaction with the extended wait in Portugal without accommodation, citing the airline’s explanation that lodging was deemed too costly. Jet2 clarified that the diversion was due to one of the pilots falling ill and assured that passenger safety was not compromised during the incident.
Jet2 conveyed apologies to affected customers for the unforeseen delay and assured that their journey resumed without further issues.
