Ryanair flight from UK forced to make emergency landing after ‘pilot falls ill’ triggering airport ‘red alert’
A RYANAIR flight from the UK was forced to make an emergency landing after the pilot reportedly fell ill.
The aircraft was heading to Morocco but had to divert to Faro Airport on the Portuguese Algarve – triggering a “red alert”.
The pilot had told passengers before landing he wasn’t feeling well, Portuguese daily Correio da Manha reports.
It is unclear whether the captain landed the plane or whether he handed the controls to the co-pilot.
The 18 passengers on board were forced to wait at the Algarve airport to takeoff again.
Ryanair has been contacted for comment.
In April, a packed easyJet plane heading to Agadir in Morocco from London Gatwick had to divert to Faro.
It is understood the flight diversion was the result of the pilot suffering an “indisposition”, and led to an identical red alert being activated before the Airbus A320 was landed safely.
Meanwhile in October, an easyJet flight was surrounded by armed police at a Spanish airport – after the pilot reportedly accidentally activated a hijack alert.
Around 20 National Police and Civil Guard officers swarmed the plane as it arrived at Majorca’s Palma Airport from Birmingham.
Some cops pointed their weapons at the plane before speaking to the pilot through an open cockpit window.
Police were stood down after it was established the hijack alert was a result of human error, though the aircraft was thoroughly searched before passengers were allowed to disembark.
The easyJet plane had previously been diverted from the landing area after the 1pm alarm was sounded moments before it arrived in Majorca.