A transatlantic holiday flight diverted to Shannon Airport this afternoon after the crew declared a medical emergency off the southwest coast.
TUI Airways flight TOM-044 was travelling from Gatwick Airport in England to Montego Bay on the Caribbean island Jamaica at the time. The Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner jet was about 100 kilometres south west of Ireland and 250 kilometres from Shannon Airport when the crew requested clearance to divert.
The flight crew told air traffic controllers they would need to dump aviation fuel to ensure they touched down within safe landing limits. As a result, Shannon Airport’s Fire and Rescue Service was alerted and requested to be on standby for the jet’s arrival. This is standard procedure at Shannon for aircraft that have jettisoned fuel before landing.
