24 May 2026 , 10:39
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Passengers on a Jet2 flight were alarmed when their flight suddenly had to make an emergency landing after the pilot suffered a suspected heart attack.
Flight LS1266 was traveling from Tenerife to Birmingham when passengers started noticing worrying signs. Flight attendants were seen running, teary-eyed, down the aisle of the plane that had 220 passengers onboard and were heard asking if any passengers were medically trained.
There was also a sudden drop in altitude as the aircraft made its way to an unscheduled landing in Porto, with the plane’s first officer handling the controls.
“We were awoken by chaos,” one witness said to The Sun, explaining that both they and their partner were asleep at the time the incident began.
“Lights began flashing, and visibly upset hostesses were looking for a doctor.
“Our two-year-old began crying like many other children onboard because the aircraft was dropping so quickly for an emergency landing.”
Footage showed how the plane, after making a successful landing in Porto at 2:11 am on Friday, was quickly attended by emergency services who tended to the pilot.
"We were stranded in Portugal for over 13 hours without accommodation,” a passenger said. “They wouldn’t let us off the plane itself for over an hour. Then we were just left to wander around. There was nowhere to stay. They said accommodation was too expensive.” The passenger added they had “full sympathy” for the pilot.
A pilot was flown by Jet2 from Manchester to Porto to help bring them home. Passengers were told they could opt for a free change onto a Jet2 flight going to any of 14 UK destinations over the next week.
Jet2 reportedly said: “Flight LS1266 from Tenerife to Birmingham was 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 apologize to customers for this unforeseen delay.”
Politics Editor