Passengers Treat Captain as First Officer Lands in Athens

The First Officer on an EasyJet flight from Hurghada, Egypt, to Manchester had to make an emergency landing in Athens, Greece, after the Captain collapsed mid-flight. The incident occurred about two hours into the journey.

Flight EZY2252, operated on an Airbus A320, took off from Hurghada International Airport (HRG) at 9:58 pm EET. It was expected to make a typical 6-hour flight to Manchester Airport (MAN) in England.

According to witnesses, the cabin crew was in the middle of serving beverages when someone collapsed near the cockpit. They rushed to the front of the aircraft and began calling for medical assistance, asking if anyone onboard had medical training. Several passengers responded and moved to lend a hand. Since a privacy screen had been pulled, most assumed the medical emergency involved a passenger. However, they quickly realized that they had guessed wrong.

With the captain unable to continue, the first officer took control of the aircraft and diverted the flight to Athens International Airport (ATH) for an emergency landing. Some passengers described the descent as “rough and scary and as we approached the runway we were welcomed with lots of emergency services such as fire engines, police, and ambulances all lined along the runway.” One traveler admitted they had a panic attack and needed an oxygen mask.

Fortunately, the landing was successful and no further injuries were reported. Paramedics quickly boarded the aircraft to provide medical assistance to the incapacitated pilot. Due to the diversion, EasyJet stepped in to set passengers up for the night and get them on new flights the next day.

“We did all possible to minimize the impact of the disruption and arranged hotel rooms and meals where available,” the carrier said in a statement. “We would like to apologize to passengers for the inconvenience caused and thank them for their patience and understanding.”

FMI: www.easyjet.com