Manama: A Gulf Air plane en route from Kuala Lumpur to Bahrain had to make an emergency landing in Oman after the captain fell ill six hours into the journey, the airline said.
"Flight GF281 on Saturday made an unscheduled landing at Muscat, Oman, after the Captain took the precautionary decision to divert the aircraft soon after he began to feel ill six hours into the journey," Gulf Air said in a statement.
The aircraft, an A330 with 136 passengers on-board, landed safely at Muscat International Airport at 1.45 and the passengers disembarked normally.
The captain was taken to the Royal Hospital by the waiting medical services where he was diagnosed as suffering a mild heart attack. His present condition is described as stable.
"While the passengers were waiting for a new crew to arrive from Bahrain they were taken care of by Gulf Air staff in Muscat and served food and refreshments. The flight then continued its journey to Bahrain landing at Bahrain International Airport at 8.10 following a six hour delay,” Gulf Air said.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is Gulf Air’s number one priority,” Captain Nasser Al Salmi, Gulf Air Chief Operating Office, said. “The captain of flight GF281 had a comprehensive health checkup recently and was fully fit to fly.”
