A Jet2 flight carrying 194 passengers from Lanzarote to Birmingham was forced to divert to Faro, Portugal, after the co-pilot fell ill, triggering a code red alert. The plane, flight LS1202, landed just after 5pm local time, where emergency workers and paramedics were on standby.
The flight had departed from Lanzarote at 3.30pm local time and was due to arrive in Birmingham at 7.45pm. However, a health issue involving the first officer prompted the diversion. A local emergency response official confirmed that 34 emergency vehicles and 81 personnel, including ambulances, firefighting vehicles and police, were mobilised.
Jet2 confirmed the incident in a statement, saying: “Flight LS1202 from Lanzarote to Birmingham had to be diverted to Faro Airport today, due to the First Officer feeling unwell. We apologise to all affected customers for any inconvenience and we will have customers on their way as soon as possible.” The airline added that the first officer was “okay”.
Passengers were awaiting a replacement plane and crew from Manchester, expected to arrive around 8pm local time, to continue their journey to Birmingham. Jet2 stated that everything possible was being done to minimise delays.
