Two flights diverted to Shannon Airport with medical emergencies

Pat Flynn

Two passenger flights travelling from the US to Europe diverted to Shannon Airport on Monday morning after both flight crews declared medical emergencies.

American Airlines flight AA-326 departed Charlotte, North Carolina shortly before midnight (Irish time) destined for Athens in Greece.

The flight was about five hours into its journey when the crew made the decision to divert to Shannon.

The flight crew made contact with air traffic controllers here and initially advised them they needed to divert to Dublin Airport.

Later, the crew of the Boeing 777-223(ER) jet confirmed that they wished to divert to Shannon because of poor weather conditions in Dublin.

It’s understood that the crew reported they had two passengers on board who required medical attention.

Authorities at Shannon were advised of the unscheduled arrival while the National Ambulance Service was also requested to dispatch resources to the airport.

The flight landed at 6.50am and taxied to the terminal where paramedics were standing by.

Meanwhile, a second American Airlines flight, travelling from New York to Milan in Italy, also diverted to Shannon Airport this morning.

Flight AA-198 departed New York’s JFK International Airport shortly after midnight (Irish time) and was almost five hours into its journey when the crew requested clearance to divert to Shannon.

The Boeing 777-223(ER) jet was about 300 kilometres southwest of Shannon at the time.

The crew confirmed they wished to divert to Shannon to seek medical attention for a male passenger in his 50s.

The National Ambulance Service was contacted again and requested to mobilise paramedics to the airport. The flight landed at 7.35am and was met at the terminal by paramedics.

The patient was transported to hospital for treatment.

Flight 198 continued its journey to Milan shortly at 8.50am while the second flight, AA-326, resumed its journey to Athens at 9.53am.

The airline has been contacted for a comment.