A Jet2 passenger flight travelling from Tenerife to Birmingham was forced to make an emergency diversion after one of the pilots suffered a suspected heart attack while the aircraft was cruising at approximately 30,000 feet.The incident occurred on flight LS1266, operated by an Airbus A321, late on Thursday night.According to reports, the captain began feeling unwell in the cockpit, prompting the crew to take immediate action as the situation escalated.

As the medical emergency unfolded, the aircraft rapidly descended and was diverted to Porto, Portugal, where it landed safely at around 2:11am on Friday.

During the diversion, passengers described a tense atmosphere on board, with cabin crew urgently seeking medical assistance from any healthcare professionals among those on the flight.Some passengers reported distress, including children becoming upset as the cabin lights flashed and the aircraft altered altitude suddenly.

Once on the ground at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, paramedics boarded the aircraft and provided emergency treatment to the pilot before he was transported to hospital for further care.Despite the safe landing, around 220 passengers were left stranded in Porto for more than 13 hours.

They initially remained on board the aircraft for over an hour and were later unable to access proper accommodation, with reports that the airline considered hotel costs too high, leaving passengers to wait at the airport.Jet2 later arranged for a replacement pilot to travel from Manchester to Porto so that the flight could continue to Birmingham.The airline stated that the diversion was made due to the pilot feeling unwell and stressed that passenger safety was not compromised.It also issued an apology for the disruption and extended delays experienced by customers.