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India Today
10-06-2025
- India Today
Over 500 stranded as Qantas flight makes emergency landing after passenger falls ill
A Qantas flight that took off from London for Singapore was forced to make an emergency landing in Azerbaijan's Baku after a passenger suffered a major cardiac episode mid-air. What followed was an unexpected overnight halt for around 500 passengers onboard QF2, the Qantas Airbus A380 flight from Heathrow to Singapore, found themselves waking up in Azerbaijan on Monday after a medical emergency forced the plane to eight hours into the 13-hour journey, a woman in her 60s became critically unwell. Dr Hamish Urquhart, an Australian doctor onboard, told ABC News that she suffered a 'major cardiac event' and required immediate attention. With intravenous access proving tricky while descending, the crew made a swift call. 'The lady was really quite unwell and needed intravenous access while we were trying to land, which was a bit challenging,' the doctor was quoted as saying by ABC to reports, the pilot executed a sharp 180-degree turn and headed straight for Baku, home to the closest airport capable of handling an A380. The aircraft touched down safely at Heydar Aliyev International Airport at around 7.56am local time. Upon landing, the woman was taken to a nearby hospital. Two other medical professionals assisted Dr Urquhart in stabilising her during the the crew managed the emergency calmly, the diversion had knock-on effects. The aircraft, originally scheduled for routine maintenance in Singapore, now needed an engineer flown in from London to carry out checks in Baku, The Independent passengers, mostly Australians en route Sydney, faced their own share of the diversion pushing crew members beyond their legal duty hours, Qantas arranged overnight accommodation for all onboard. But before they could even reach their hotels, most passengers had to wait over three hours just for their online visas to be approved.'It took five hours to exit the plane, then three hours to wait for a visa to come through, and finally a two-hour trip to a hotel with frequent stops as the guide called someone, evidently totally unsure where to take us,' a flight passenger told ABC News.A Qantas spokesperson confirmed the diversion, saying: 'We apologise to customers for the disruption and are working to get them on their way to Singapore as soon as possible.'The airline also reiterated that safety remained its top were expected to resume their journey via Singapore later in the day.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Mid-air medical emergency forces Qantas flight to land in Azerbaijan
Passengers onboard a London to Singapore Qantas flight spent the night in Azerbaijan after a mid-air medical emergency forced the aircraft to divert. Flight QF2 from Heathrow to Singapore Changi airport made an unscheduled stop in Azerbaijan's capital Baku, on Monday (9 June) for a female passenger to receive medical attention. Hamish Urquhart, an Australian doctor onboard, told ABC News that a woman in her 60s experienced a 'major cardiac event' during the flight. He said: 'The lady was really quite unwell and needed intravenous access while we were trying to land, which was a bit challenging.' According to the Australian doctor, the pilot performed a 'dramatic 180-degree-turn' to safely land at the airport in Baku. Dr Urquhart and two other medical professionals onboard helped to stabilise the woman. On landing in Baku – the closest airport with a runway to accommodate an A380 aircraft – the woman was transported to a nearby hospital. The Airbus A380 was eight hours into the over 13-hour journey when it diverted to Heydar Aliyev International airport, landing at around 7.56am local time. An A380 engineer was flown out from London to carry out routine maintenance checks on the aircraft, which had been due to take place in Singapore. Other passengers told ABC that it took more than three hours to wait for their online visas to come through. According to the airline, all customers were given overnight accommodation after the diversion 'caused the operating crew to reach their duty limits'. A Qantas spokesperson said: 'Our QF2 London to Singapore service diverted to Baku in Azerbaijan yesterday due to a medical incident onboard. 'We apologise to customers for the disruption and are working to get them on their way to Singapore as soon as possible.' Passengers, mostly Australian, are due to continue the journey to Sydney via Singapore later today following the unexpected overnight stop. The airline added: 'Safety is our number one priority and we are focused on getting our customers on their way as soon possible.' Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, said: 'Pilots will always do what is best for the unwell passenger, but the consequences of a medical diversion can be extreme – in terms of disruption and expense. 'One factor with the latest Qantas diversion is the size of the plane – with close to 500 fellow passengers on an Airbus A380, there is a higher chance someone will be taken ill than on a smaller aircraft.'
Sky News AU
10-06-2025
- Health
- Sky News AU
Mid-air medical emergency forces Qantas flight full of Aussies to make drastic landing in Azerbaijan, leaving passengers outraged and isolated
Hundreds of Aussies have had their holiday plans torpedoed after being forced to spend more than a day in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku due to a Qantas A380 flight experiencing a sudden mid-air medical emergency. A passenger on board the 'relatively full' plane suffered a life-threatening cardiac emergency mid-flight, leaving hundreds of home bound Aussies stuck. The aircraft touched down safely at 7:55am local time at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan, with Australian doctor Hamish Urquhart who was on board at the time confirming the passenger who suffered the major cardiac event was a women aged in her 60s. "The lady was really quite unwell and needed intravenous access while we were trying to land, which was a bit challenging," Dr Urquhart said. Dr Urquhart said the pilot had to make a 'dramatic 180-degree turn' to reach Baku' and that 'in the air, it was a bit stressful as we were flying towards Afghanistan'. It is understood the women who suffered the unexpected cardiac arrest on the flight is okay and recovering. The decision to make passengers wait a day in Azerbaijan was due to the operating crew reaching their duty limit and being 'out of hours'. Passengers discovered upon arrival that Azerbaijan was in the midst of a public holiday, which served as a logistical nightmare in organising visas for as many as 500 people in addition to securing overnight accommodation. The plane was also due to receive routine maintenance checks in Singapore, with the checks now brought forward to happen in Baku further compounding the lengthy delays. Numerous passengers took to social media to slam Qantas for its handling of the situation, with some stating they were initially told by the captain that the flight had to make the surprise landing due to an engine fault. A Qantas spokesperson told that the aircraft faced no mechanical complications and condemned multiple mastheads for incorrectly reporting that the flight had made an 'emergency landing'. 'Please note, some media outlets are incorrectly referring to this diversion as an emergency landing, I just want to reiterate there was no emergency landing. It was a normal landing as part of a planned diversion,' the statement read. The spokesperson also said Qantas' first priority was the safety of it's passengers, and apologised for any inconvenience caused to its customers. 'We apologise to customers for the disruption and are working to get them on their way to Singapore as soon as possible," they said. 'All customers will be provided with overnight accommodation, and the flight is expected to depart for Singapore tomorrow, Tuesday 10 June'. Despite the aircraft being mechanically sound, an engineer was flown from London to inspect the plane and certify it before departure. It is understood some passengers who approached airport staff in the hope of securing an earlier flight were told that this was only possible if they provided a payment of cash or cryptocurrency. Nine's Europe correspondent Hannah Sinclar who was on the board the flight travelling home for her wedding blasted Qantas for the debacle on X. 'There's been no help getting a different flight and airport staff are asking for us to pay for new flights in crypto or cash only. Not ok,' the post read. However, Qantas firmly rejected reports that passengers were asked to pay for replacement flights with cryptocurrency, and that the workers demanding crypto payments were not Qantas employees. Another passenger Nick Phillips told the ABC that Qantas' management of the unforeseen diversion was shambolic and that passengers were left in the dark for hours. "It took five hours to exit the plane, then three hours to wait for a visa to come through, and finally a two-hour trip to a hotel with frequent stops as the guide called someone, evidently totally unsure where to take us," he said. Passengers are set to depart Azerbaijan at 4.30pm Tuesday local time, or 10.30pm AEST.
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Qantas passengers' fuming after strange request following emergency landing
Qantas passengers were left furious after being told they had to pay in cryptocurrency or cash to rebook their flights following an emergency landing in Azerbaijan. The QF2 plane flying from London to Singapore was forced to pull a tight U-turn in the air above the European country on Sunday local time after a passenger went into cardia Hundreds of people were taken off the plane at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in the country's capital of Baku due to a medical emergency. But when they tried to rebook new flights, they were shocked to be told by airport staff that payment was only accepted in cash or crypto. Nine's European correspondent Hannah Sinclair, who was on board, took to social media to slam the situation. 'Hey Qantas currently stranded in Azerbaijan with almost 500 other passengers after a medical emergency and engine problem on QF2,' she said. 'There's been no help getting a different flight and airport staff are asking for us to pay for new flights in crypto or cash only? Not ok.' Sinclair said the workers demanding payment were not Qantas staff. With no clear rebooking time and needing to get to a wedding, she booked her own flight back to Australia online. Meanwhile, Australian doctor Hamish Urquhart, who helped treat the woman during her cardiac arrest, said the plane was forced to land in Baku because it was the nearest major airport capable of handling a large aircraft. 'The lady was really quite unwell and needed intravenous access while we were trying to land, which was a bit challenging,' Dr Urquhart told ABC News. 'In the air it was a bit stressful as we were flying towards Afghanistan.' The female passenger who was taken ill and required intravenous help during the flight was taken to a hospital near Baku's airport for treatment. 'They're currently trying to find 400 hotel rooms in Azerbaijan while they fly a new plane from London,' Dr Urquhart said on Monday, local time. 'Apparently we'll be here on the tarmac for several hours as Qantas has to sort visas for everyone for Azerbaijan and all the hotel rooms in Baku.' Qantas said the QF2 flight was originally due for routine maintenance checks in Singapore, but because of the emergency diversion, those checks had to be completed in Baku instead. The flight couldn't continue the same day, as the operating crew had already reached their maximum legal working hours. 'Our London to Singapore service diverted to Baku in Azerbaijan yesterday due to a medical incident onboard,' a Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'We apologise to customers for the disruption and are working to get them on their way to Singapore as soon as possible.' All customers were provided with overnight accommodation and the flight is expected to depart for Singapore on Tuesday.
The Star
09-06-2025
- Health
- The Star
Qantas passengers bound for Singapore to stay night in Azerbaijan after flight from London diverted
Qantas is providing customers with lodging for the night. -- PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: ST FILE 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
