Manchester to Madeira Jet2 flight makes emergency landing after pilot faints

A Jet2 flight flying from Manchester to Madeira was forced to make an emergency landing after its pilot fainted in the cockpit. The plane made an emergency landing at Porto, a coastal city in northwest Portugal.

Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is an archipelago comprising 4 islands off the northwest coast of Africa.

According to reports, the alarm is said to have been sounded around 10:20 am local time today and a runway was closed for half an hour till 11 am so the emergency landing could take place.

The pilot is understood to have been taken to hospital on arrival.

The airline said in a tweet, "We would like to apologize to customers traveling on #LS765 from #Manchester to Funchal, #Madeira which has diverted into Porto, #Portugal due to an onboard medical situation. We are working to get you on your way ASAP. Please see our agents 'Portway' at Gate 2 for more info. Tx"

We would like to apologise to customers travelling on #LS765 from #Manchester to Funchal, #Madeira which has diverted into Porto, #Portugal due to an onboard medical situation. We are working to get you on your way ASAP. Please see our agents 'Portway' at Gate 2 for more info. Tx

— Jet2tweets (@jet2tweets) August 26, 2019