A Virgin Atlantic flight originating from Los Angeles has issued an emergency alert upon entering British airspace. The crew onboard the Airbus A350-1000 activated a Squawk 7700 code, indicating a general emergency, while flying at 39,000 feet due to a severe medical incident involving a passenger. The aircraft swiftly descended towards London Heathrow Airport, landing at Terminal 3 about 10 minutes ahead of schedule. The pilots promptly informed air traffic control, which facilitated a priority landing for the flight. Upon touchdown, emergency services and ground crews were ready and waiting.
A spokesperson from Virgin Atlantic confirmed that Flight VS8, departing from Los Angeles on April 20th, requested a priority landing at London Heathrow due to a passenger falling ill. The flight safely landed at 10:06 am on April 21st, where medical assistance was provided. Virgin Atlantic emphasized that the safety and well-being of passengers and crew are their utmost priority.
Virgin Atlantic, the second-largest airline in Britain, specializes in transatlantic flights between London Heathrow and various destinations like New York, Orlando, the Caribbean, Delhi, and Johannesburg. The company is headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex, near Gatwick Airport.
In a similar incident, a Jet2 flight from London Stansted to Tenerife South Airport encountered an emergency when a baby onboard became unwell. Spanish air traffic controllers expedited the landing process after being alerted to the baby’s breathing difficulties. The aircraft successfully landed ahead of schedule, and medical assistance was coordinated on the ground for the infant.
Details on whether the baby required hospitalization upon landing were not immediately available.