Rescue crews rush to runway after three flights are diverted for emergency landings
The transatlantic flights were diverted to the airport after a series of emergencies.
Three transatlantic flights were diverted to Shannon Airport in Ireland after medical emergencies on Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Two of the unscheduled landings happened earlier this morning, largely because Shannon is the only airport in Ireland that operates fully on Christmas Day each year. While other airports scale back or close for the holiday, Shannon remains open with full services, meaning any flights needing to divert or land unexpectedly are typically directed there, reports Irish Mirror.
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According to the reports, Delta Air Lines flight DL-224 was travelling to Paris early this morning from Boston. While the flight was still more than an hour west of Ireland, the crew alerted air traffic control that a passenger on board required urgent medical attention.
The flight landed at 7.33am and was met at the terminal by ambulance paramedics.
A passenger was removed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) for treatment. The flight continued to Paris at around 10.15am.
Authorities at Shannon Airport were alerted in advance about the unexpected landing so they could prepare for the aircraft’s arrival. Ground handling teams were also informed, allowing them to be ready on the tarmac to assist as soon as the plane touched down.
At the same time, the National Ambulance Service was contacted and asked to deploy medical resources to the airport, ensuring that paramedics would be on site quickly to provide any urgent care needed once the passenger was brought off the aircraft.
Later on, a separate American Airlines service travelling from the United States to London was also forced to divert to Shannon Airport after its crew declared a medical emergency on board.
