British Airways Flight BA 6427, en route from Cape Town to Joburg yesterday morning, turned back mid-flight when a passenger became ill.
|||A BRITISH Airways Flight, en route from Cape Town to Johannesburg yesterday morning, turned back in mid-flight when a passenger suffered an epileptic fit.
Airports Company SA acting communications manager at Cape Town International Airport, Deborah Francis, said the flight left Cape Town at 7.47am yesterday.
“A passenger needed medical assistance and the aircraft turned around and landed at 8.40am.”
Airport Medical Services was on standby, and assisted the unnamed passenger – who walked off the aircraft, before being taken to Louis Leipoldt Mediclinic.
Heidi Brauer, Comair’s executive manager for group marketing, confirmed the incident saying: “The passenger on BA 6427 was an epileptic who suffered an attack on board.”
The captain elected to turn back to Cape Town for safety reasons.
The aircraft was back by 8.40am with all support services on standby.
“Two medical doctors and the paramedics assessed the passenger on landing and felt he should not travel onwards until he had been stabilised,” she said.
The aircraft left Cape Town again at 9am.
According to Brauer, the passenger was a frequent flyer with British Airways, and the BA team, who know him well, had taken excellent care of him.
warda.meyer@inl.co.za
Weekend Argus
