Passengers heading for UK stranded abroad after mid-air emergency
Passengers heading for UK stranded abroad after mid-air emergency
The plane was forced to redirect and make an emergency landing
Passengers have had to spend the night in the Maldives
Plane passengers heading for the UK have been left stranded after a mid-air emergency on a flight to London. Qantas Flight QF9 left Perth in Western Australia on Monday evening and was forced to divert eight hours into the 18-hour flight.
The airline has now sent crew from its London base to assist stranded passengers, who were due to arrive at London Heathrow Airport. The Boeing 787 plane was forced to land in Malé, the capital city of the Maldives, shortly before midnight after a person on board sufferred a medical emergency. The flight could not continue afterwards as the crew had reached their duty limit.
Flight QF9, a non-stop service from Perth to London, left just after 6:30pm local time, but the crew made the decision to divert the Dreamliner due to a medical emergency, reports The Express. The aircraft landed in Malé at around 11:30pm.
Article continues below
A Qantas spokesperson said: 'Earlier this morning our Perth to London service diverted to Malé in the Maldives due to a medical incident on-board. We're working with customers to rebook them on alternate flights out of Malé."
QF9 is one of Qantas' flagship ultra-long-haul services, typically covering nearly 14,500 kilometres in just under 18 hours without stopping.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
13 hours ago
- The Independent
Mid-air medical emergency forces Qantas flight to land in Azerbaijan
Passengers onboard a London to Singapore Qantas flight spent the night in Azerbaijan after a mid-air medical emergency forced the aircraft to divert. Flight QF2 from Heathrow to Singapore Changi airport made an unscheduled stop in Azerbaijan's capital Baku, on Monday (9 June) for a female passenger to receive medical attention. Hamish Urquhart, an Australian doctor onboard, told ABC News that a woman in her 60s experienced a 'major cardiac event' during the flight. He said: 'The lady was really quite unwell and needed intravenous access while we were trying to land, which was a bit challenging.' According to the Australian doctor, the pilot performed a 'dramatic 180-degree-turn' to safely land at the airport in Baku. Dr Urquhart and two other medical professionals onboard helped to stabilise the woman. On landing in Baku – the closest airport with a runway to accommodate an A380 aircraft – the woman was transported to a nearby hospital. The Airbus A380 was eight hours into the over 13-hour journey when it diverted to Heydar Aliyev International airport, landing at around 7.56am local time. An A380 engineer was flown out from London to carry out routine maintenance checks on the aircraft, which had been due to take place in Singapore. Other passengers told ABC that it took more than three hours to wait for their online visas to come through. According to the airline, all customers were given overnight accommodation after the diversion 'caused the operating crew to reach their duty limits'. A Qantas spokesperson said: 'Our QF2 London to Singapore service diverted to Baku in Azerbaijan yesterday due to a medical incident onboard. 'We apologise to customers for the disruption and are working to get them on their way to Singapore as soon as possible.' Passengers, mostly Australian, are due to continue the journey to Sydney via Singapore later today following the unexpected overnight stop. The airline added: 'Safety is our number one priority and we are focused on getting our customers on their way as soon possible.' Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, said: 'Pilots will always do what is best for the unwell passenger, but the consequences of a medical diversion can be extreme – in terms of disruption and expense. 'One factor with the latest Qantas diversion is the size of the plane – with close to 500 fellow passengers on an Airbus A380, there is a higher chance someone will be taken ill than on a smaller aircraft.'
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Unbelievable reason American Airlines flight to Naples was forced to divert 140 miles away from its destination
Hundreds of passengers onboard an American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Naples had to divert to Rome, not because of weather, mechanical issues, or a medical emergency - but because the plane was too big to land. The pilot explained the situation over the intercom somewhere over the Tyrrhenian Sea, as the cabin full of hundreds of sleepy-eyed passengers prepared for a smooth descent into sun-soaked Naples. 'Folks,' he said, 'this is your captain speaking. I'm sorry to say, we unfortunately need to divert, as we realized the plane we've been flying across the Atlantic all night isn't actually authorized to land at our destination airport…' The aircraft, American Airlines Flight 780 on June 2, had just completed an eight-hour journey from Philadelphia, traversing the Atlantic and multiple time zones, only to be turned away as the pilots prepared their approach. Before the plane had left the US, American Airlines had swapped out their usual Boeing 787-8 aircraft for a slightly larger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Such kinds of aircraft substitutions aren't uncommon because of maintenance schedules or operational reasons and on paper, the change seemed harmless enough - the 787-9 is only about 20 feet longer than the 787-8 and boasts similar capabilities. But on this particular route, from Philadelphia to Naples, those extra 20 feet meant the plane was not authorized to land. Just as the plane approached southern Italy and began its descent, air traffic control informed the flight crew that Naples Capodichino Airport could not accommodate the 787-9 due to specific operational restrictions. Despite the clear skies and calm conditions, Naples Airport is only allowed to receive the 787-8 specific model of Dreamliner. Instead, the aircraft banked northwards and headed for Rome's Fiumicino Airport, nearly 140 miles away. Aviation insider @xJonNYC, who first broke the story on social media, called it a 'rough reason for a diversion'. American Airlines later confirmed the incident, citing only 'operational limitations' and offering a perfunctory apology to the 231 passengers and 11 crew onboard. 'We apologize to them for this disruption to their journey,' the airline said in a statement. The passengers made their surprise touchdown in the Italian capital but with no spare aircraft on hand to complete the final leg to Naples customers were placed on buses for the final three-hour journey south.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Qantas passengers' fuming after strange request following emergency landing
Qantas passengers were left furious after being told they had to pay in cryptocurrency or cash to rebook their flights following an emergency landing in Azerbaijan. The QF2 plane flying from London to Singapore was forced to pull a tight U-turn in the air above the European country on Sunday local time after a passenger went into cardia Hundreds of people were taken off the plane at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in the country's capital of Baku due to a medical emergency. But when they tried to rebook new flights, they were shocked to be told by airport staff that payment was only accepted in cash or crypto. Nine's European correspondent Hannah Sinclair, who was on board, took to social media to slam the situation. 'Hey Qantas currently stranded in Azerbaijan with almost 500 other passengers after a medical emergency and engine problem on QF2,' she said. 'There's been no help getting a different flight and airport staff are asking for us to pay for new flights in crypto or cash only? Not ok.' Sinclair said the workers demanding payment were not Qantas staff. With no clear rebooking time and needing to get to a wedding, she booked her own flight back to Australia online. Meanwhile, Australian doctor Hamish Urquhart, who helped treat the woman during her cardiac arrest, said the plane was forced to land in Baku because it was the nearest major airport capable of handling a large aircraft. 'The lady was really quite unwell and needed intravenous access while we were trying to land, which was a bit challenging,' Dr Urquhart told ABC News. 'In the air it was a bit stressful as we were flying towards Afghanistan.' The female passenger who was taken ill and required intravenous help during the flight was taken to a hospital near Baku's airport for treatment. 'They're currently trying to find 400 hotel rooms in Azerbaijan while they fly a new plane from London,' Dr Urquhart said on Monday, local time. 'Apparently we'll be here on the tarmac for several hours as Qantas has to sort visas for everyone for Azerbaijan and all the hotel rooms in Baku.' Qantas said the QF2 flight was originally due for routine maintenance checks in Singapore, but because of the emergency diversion, those checks had to be completed in Baku instead. The flight couldn't continue the same day, as the operating crew had already reached their maximum legal working hours. 'Our London to Singapore service diverted to Baku in Azerbaijan yesterday due to a medical incident onboard,' a Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'We apologise to customers for the disruption and are working to get them on their way to Singapore as soon as possible.' All customers were provided with overnight accommodation and the flight is expected to depart for Singapore on Tuesday.
