Packed easyJet plane makes emergency landing in Portugal

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

The copilot allegedly landed the plane with 100 people on board.

It was sailing to Faro in Portugal after taking off from London Gatwick just after 6.30am this morning bound for Agadir in Morocco. It was supposed to arrive at 9:25 a.m. local time.

Online flight trackers show the unscheduled stop of the Airbus A320 after the alarm in the air.

The leading Portuguese daily Correio da Manha reports that a source at Faro airport has said the diversion is due to an ‘disorder’ of the pilot.

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It said a red alert had been activated and the copilot had successfully landed the plane. EasyJet has been approached for comment.

It is not yet clear what time the plane will now reach its destination and whether the pilot will continue the flight or be taken to hospital.

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

The captain performed a routine landing according to standard operating procedures and the aircraft was met by medical services on arrival in Faro.

‘A replacement crew has been arranged and the passengers have now continued their journey to Agadir.

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

‘The safety and well-being of its passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority.’

An Aer Lingus passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Dublin earlier this month just minutes after takeoff after a swarm of pigeons was sucked into the plane’s engine.

Firefighters immediately scrambled onto the runway after the plane landed following this afternoon’s bird strike.

Passengers reported experiencing large vibrations in 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 in Dublin earlier this month just minutes after takeoff after a swarm of pigeons was sucked into the plane’s engine (file image)

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

During the first incident, on Feb. 1, attendants flew BA216 from Washington Dulles airport to London had to spray a fire extinguisher on two seats when worried 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 aircraft landed in Halifax, Canada.

All passengers disembarked the aircraft normally while firefighters inspected the seating area.

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

On February 10 of this year, another Boeing Dreamliner was involved in a smoke incident, also in the business class section.

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

The flight was across the Atlantic Ocean and 600 miles from the nearest airport when it was decided to divert to St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.

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