British Airways flight makes emergency landing at Zurich after co-pilot falls unconscious

The airline has so far not disclosed the cause of the pilot’s illness.

File Image: British Airways flight from London to Athens was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in Zurich after the first officer fells unconscious in the cockpit (AFP via Getty Images)

A British Airways flight from London to Athens was forced to make an emergency landing in Zurich after the first officer fell unconscious in the cockpit.  

The A320 Airbus’s co-pilot had complained about feeling unwell halfway into the three-and-a-half hour flight, reported the MailOnline.  

The captain of the flight had decided to make an airborne return to London as the plane passed over Zagreb in Croatia, according to reports. However, he was forced to make an immediate landing in Switzerland as the condition of the co-pilot deteriorated rapidly.

The flight touched down at the Swiss city without any incident and eventually left for its original destination nearly six hours later. It reached Athens nine hours after taking off from the Heathrow airport.  

A spokesperson for the British Airways, in a statement, reassured that the plane remained in the full control of the captain and said : “The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority and our teams looked after customers before they carried on their journey to Athens yesterday evening.”

The first officer has reportedly recovered. However, the airline has so far not disclosed the cause of the pilot’s illness. The British Airways further said the incident was not related to fumes in the cockpit that have previously been linked with pilots suddenly feeling ill. “The first officer simply felt unwell,” said the spokesperson.

Greece is among the few countries in Europe that has not banned incoming flights from UK, following the new coronavirus strain and a spike in the new cases.