Virgin Atlantic flight VS059 from Los Angeles declared a medical emergency over the UK, forcing an expedited early landing at London Heathrow Airport
A Virgin Atlantic flight from Los Angeles was forced to declare an emergency upon entering British airspace.
The crew aboard the Airbus A350-1000 issued a Squawk 7700 — the internationally recognised code for a general emergency — while cruising at 39,000 feet, owing to a “serious medical situation” involving a passenger, according to reports.
The aircraft made an expedited descent towards London Heathrow Airport, AirLive reports. Having departed Los Angeles International Airport at 3.41pm on Monday, the plane touched down at London Heathrow at 10.06am on Tuesday — approximately 10 minutes ahead of its scheduled arrival, reports the Mirror.
The flight crew notified air traffic control, who authorised priority landing clearance. The aircraft commenced a swift descent towards the airport, where emergency services and ground personnel are believed to have been positioned in readiness.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “Flight VS8 from Los Angeles which departed on Monday 20th April, requested a priority landing on approach to London Heathrow due to a customer becoming unwell onboard.
“The flight landed safely at 10:06am on Tuesday 21st April, where medical assistance was arranged on arrival. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and we apologise for any concern caused.”
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