Qantas passengers bound for Singapore to stay night in Azerbaijan after flight from London diverted
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A medical emergency on a Qantas flight from London to Sydney, via Singapore, forced an urgent landing in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, early on June 9, according to Australian media reports.
A passenger – a woman in her 60s – had suffered a life-threatening cardiac episode in midair, reported Australia's ABC News.
Three doctors on board the Australian carrier's Flight QF2 helped stabilise the woman.
'The lady was really quite unwell and needed intravenous access while we were trying to land, which was a bit challenging,' Australian doctor Hamish Urquhart told ABC News.
He said the pilot had made a 'dramatic 180-degree-turn' to reach Heydar Aliyev International airport, reportedly one of the few in the region capable of accommodating the Airbus A380 plane – the world's largest passenger aircraft.
Azerbaijan is between Russia and Iran.
Dr Urquhart added that the woman was then taken to a nearby hospital.
According to flight tracking data, the red-eye flight left London's Heathrow Airport at 8.51pm on June 8 (3.51am Singapore time on June 9) and landed in Baku at 7.55am local time.
It should depart for Changi on June 10, and the airline is providing more than 400 affected passengers with lodging for the night, said a Qantas spokesperson.
Flight QF2's crew had reached their 'duty limit' following the diversion to Baku, and the flight could not resume on the same day, added the spokesperson.
The spokesperson said: 'Our QF2 London to Singapore service diverted to Baku in Azerbaijan earlier today due to a medical incident on board.
'We apologise to customers for the disruption and are working to get them on their way to Singapore as soon as possible.' - The Straits Times/ANN
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