EasyJet, a low-cost airline based in the United Kingdom, was operating a flight from Hurghada, Egypt, to Manchester on Feb. 8, when the plane’s pilot suddenly collapsed en route.
A passenger told the Manchester Evening News that the pilot collapsed around two hours into the flight.
The travelers were initially unaware that the incident involved the pilot.
“At first we thought this may have been a passenger as nothing much was being said, other than the screams asking if anyone is medically trained, where a few passengers got up and assisted the cabin crew,” the passenger, who preferred to remain anonymous, said.
“The following call was from the cabin crew to advise this was the captain/pilot who was seeking medical attention and has fell unwell and we again would be further updated with what was going to happen,” the traveler added. “At this point, the passengers were starting to get rather worried and anxious, including myself, knowing that it was a pilot and not the passenger.”
“The ride began to get very rough and scary.”
EasyJet confirmed the incident in a statement to People, noting that the co-pilot was able to divert the flight and land safely in Athens.
“The first officer performed a routine landing in accordance with standard operating procedures and the aircraft was met by paramedics on arrival in Athens,” the spokesperson confirmed.
EasyJet also apologized for the inconvenience caused by the incident, as the flight was delayed overnight.
“We did all possible to minimize the impact of the disruption and arranged hotel rooms and meals where available,” the statement said. “We would like to apologize to passengers for the inconvenience caused and thank them for their patience and understanding.”
EasyJet made international headlines last year when panicked passengers were forced to evacuate down a plane’s emergency slides after a vape pen explosion.
“I could smell and see smoke coming towards us from the front of the plane, so I asked my dad, ‘Is this protocol?’” a passenger told Storyful at the time. “Then, a girl ran down the aisle with a bag, with smoke out of it, and then there was a cracking noise, which was the sound of the flames, which caused panic.”
FOX Business reached out to EasyJet for comment.