A Jet2 flight carrying 220 passengers from Tenerife to Birmingham was forced to divert to Porto, Portugal, on Thursday, May 21, after the pilot suffered a suspected heart attack mid-air.
The first officer assumed control of flight LS1266, executing an immediate descent that caused a sudden drop in altitude before touching down safely at 2:11 a.
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m. on Friday, where emergency services were waiting.
Passengers Describe Chaos Onboard
Cabin crew members were seen crying while rushing down the aisle to ask passengers for medical assistance as the aircraft changed course, according to reports from the Mirror.
An unnamed passenger told The Sun that the situation caused immediate disruption among the families on board during the unscheduled descent.
"We were awoken by chaos," said the witness.
The passenger further stated that lights flashed as the crew sought a doctor, which caused several children to cry due to the rapid loss of altitude during the emergency landing.
"Lights began flashing and hostesses who were visibly upset, seeking a doctor.
Our two-year-old began crying like many other children onboard because the aircraft was dropping so quickly for an emergency landing," said the witness.
Following the landing, passengers remained stranded on the tarmac for over an hour and spent more than 13 hours at the airport without replacement accommodations.
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"We were stranded in Portugal for over 13 hours without accommodation," said a passenger.
The passenger expressed sympathy for the pilot but noted that travelers were left to wander because local accommodation was deemed too expensive.
Jet2 later provided a replacement pilot from Manchester and offered complimentary transfers to 14 UK destinations.
"They wouldn't let us off the plane itself for over an hour. Then we were just left to wander around.
There was nowhere to stay. They said accommodation was too expensive," said the passenger.
The airline confirmed the diversion but emphasized that the safety of the passengers was maintained throughout the incident.
"Flight LS1266 from Tenerife to Birmingham diverted to Porto on Thursday (21st May), due to one of the pilots feeling unwell.
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At no point was safety compromised, and customers subsequently continued their journey. We would like to apologise to customers for this unforeseen delay," said a Jet2 spokesperson.
