Emirates flight EK31, travelling from Dubai to London Heathrow, was diverted to Frankfurt on 1 October after a medical emergency involving a passenger onboard.
The aircraft had departed Dubai at approximately 11.30am local time (7.29am BST) and landed safely at Frankfurt Airport roughly six hours into the journey. The diversion was confirmed by Emirates, which said cabin crew provided assistance during the flight and medical support was arranged on arrival.
Passenger disembarked for medical attention
After landing in Frankfurt, the passenger disembarked to receive further medical care. The same aircraft was expected to continue its journey to London Heathrow later in the evening, with a scheduled takeoff around 6pm local Frankfurt time (5pm BST).
A spokesperson for Emirates said: "Emirates can confirm that flight EK31 from Dubai to London Heathrow diverted to Frankfurt on 1 October due to a medical emergency involving a passenger onboard."
Emergency code declared
The flight issued a '7700 squawk code', a signal pilots use to declare an in-flight emergency requiring immediate priority handling from air traffic controllers. Such codes can be triggered by mechanical failures, onboard safety threats, medical emergencies or unclear escalating situations.
The spokesperson added: "Our cabin crew provided assistance during the flight, and medical support was arranged on arrival. The aircraft landed safely in Frankfurt, where the passenger disembarked to receive further medical attention. The flight is expected to continue its journey to London Heathrow at approximately 18:00 local Frankfurt time. We apologise to customers for the delay. The health and safety of our passengers and crew is always our highest priority."
