A Jet2 holiday flight from Birmingham to Tenerife was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Portugal after the pilot suffered a suspected heart attack while cruising at 30,000 feet. The incident occurred on Jet2 Flight LS1266 in the early hours of Friday, May 22, as the aircraft was en route from Tenerife to Birmingham.
Emergency Landing in Porto
The plane, carrying 220 passengers, diverted to Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport near Porto, Portugal. Passengers described scenes of worry as cabin crew rushed through the aisle, asking if anyone had medical training. The cabin lights flickered during a rapid descent, and children cried as the aircraft quickly lost altitude before landing safely.
One passenger told The Sun: 'My partner and I were asleep when we were woken by chaos. Lights began flashing and hostesses who were visibly upset, seeking a doctor. Our two-year-old began crying like many other children on board because the aircraft was dropping so quickly for an emergency landing.'
Medical Response and Passenger Ordeal
The aircraft landed in Porto at 2:11 am local time, and emergency services boarded immediately. Medical staff attended to the pilot in the cockpit before he was taken to hospital. Passengers remained on board for over an hour before disembarking and then spent about 13 hours in the terminal while the airline organised a replacement crew. A pilot flew in from Manchester to take travellers to Birmingham on a different aircraft.
One passenger reportedly said: 'We were stranded in Portugal for over 13 hours without accommodation... There was nowhere to stay. They said accommodation was too expensive.'
Jet2 Statement
Jet2 confirmed the incident, stating: 'Flight LS1266 from Tenerife to Birmingham diverted to Porto on Thursday (21st May), due to one of the pilots feeling unwell. At no point was safety compromised, and customers subsequently continued their journey. We would like to apologise to customers for this unforeseen delay.'
