Packed easyJet plane makes emergency landing in Portugal after pilot fell ill on flight from London to Morocco

A packed easyJet plane was reportedly forced to make an emergency landing in the Algarve after the pilot fell ill.

The co-pilot apparently landed the plane with 100 people on board.

It sailed to Faro in Portugal after leaving Gatwick for Agadir in Morocco just after 06:30 this morning. It should arrive at 9:25 local time.

Online flight trackers show Airbus A320 unscheduled stop after air warning.

Leading Portuguese daily Correio da Manha reports that a source at Faro airport said the diversion was due to a “disturbance” by the pilot.

It sailed to Faro in Portugal after leaving Gatwick for Agadir in Morocco just after 06:30 this morning.

It said a red alert was activated and the co-pilot successfully landed the plane.

A passenger traveling with 17 others to Agadir, Morocco for a “two-day” stag party, claimed the co-pilot “stabbed” her finger into the cabin door, causing a “1cm” cut that wouldn’t stop. bleed.

She told MailOnline: “On board we saw the cabin crew pacing up and down.

“The co-pilot caught her finger in the cockpit door and had a 1 cm cut. Unable to control the bleeding, the pilot quickly made the decision to divert to Faro, Portugal.

“Our friend who is a doctor went to help and said that although it wouldn’t stop the bleeding, the landing of the flight was a bit extreme.”

She said passengers would then have to wait for another flight from Gatwick, London, to arrive in Faro and fly to Agadir.

The passenger, who asked not to be named, said while she was “grateful” that EasyJet had rescheduled the flight, she was “frustrated” to land four hours late in Agadir because the bachelor party was cut short.

A passenger traveling with 17 others to Agadir, Morocco for a “two-day” stag party, claimed the co-pilot “stabbed” her finger into the cabin door, causing a “1cm” cut that wouldn’t stop. bleed. Pictured: EasyJet crew arriving at Faro Airport

An EasyJet spokesman said: “EasyJet can confirm that flight EZY6469 from London Gatwick to Agadir was diverted to Faro on 21 April as the first officer required medical attention.

The Captain performed a routine landing in accordance with normal operating procedures and the aircraft was received by medical services on arrival in Faro.

“A replacement crew was arranged and the passengers now continued their journey to Agadir.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the redirection and the resulting delay.

“The safety and welfare of passengers and crew is easyJet’s top priority.”

An Aer Lingus passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing just minutes after taking off from Dublin earlier this month after a flock of pigeons were sucked into the plane’s engine.

Firefighters immediately got on the runway after the plane landed after the bird strike this afternoon.

Passengers reported severe vibrations on the plane after the flock of birds became trapped in the right engine.

An Aer Lingus passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing just minutes after take-off from Dublin earlier this month after a flock of pigeons were sucked into the plane’s engine (file photo).

And in February this year, two transatlantic British Airways flights were forced to make emergency landings after passengers complained of smoke and a burning smell coming from business class seats.

During the first incident on February 1, flight attendants were flying BA216 from Washington Dulles Airport London had to spray a fire extinguisher on two seats when concerned passengers reported a pungent smell of fire just minutes into the eight-hour flight to the UK.

The captain then declared an emergency to air traffic controllers and the plane landed in Halifax, Canada.

All passengers exited the plane normally while firefighters investigated the seating area.

Footage shared by a passenger on the flight showed firefighters moving through the cabin.

On 10 February this year, another Boeing Dreamliner was also involved in a smoking incident in Business Class.

Passengers on the Boston-to-Heathrow flight told flight attendants they could smell smoke rising from seat 12A.

The flight was over the Atlantic Ocean and 600 miles from the nearest airport when a decision was made to go to St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada to redirect.

It landed nearly two hours later and the 106 passengers and crew were taken to the terminal while firefighters conducted an inspection.