Emirates Dubai-London A380 diverts to Frankfurt after passenger medical emergency

Dubai: An Emirates A380 flying from Dubai to London Heathrow diverted to Frankfurt on Thursday after a passenger suffered a medical emergency on board, the airline confirmed.

Flight EK31 landed safely at Frankfurt Airport, where the passenger disembarked to receive further medical attention.

Emirates Airlines said on X, “Emirates can confirm that flight EK31 from Dubai to London Heathrow diverted to Frankfurt on 1 October due to a medical emergency involving a passenger onboard.”

“Our cabin crew assisted the flight, and medical support was arranged on arrival. The aircraft landed safely in Frankfurt, where the passenger disembarked to receive further medical attention.”

Flight declares general emergency

Flight-tracking information cited by AIRLIVE showed that EK31, operated by an Airbus A380-800, was cruising at around 40,000 feet when the crew transmitted squawk code 7700, the international transponder code used to signal a general emergency.

The aircraft then descended and diverted to Frankfurt instead of continuing directly to London Heathrow. The flight had departed Dubai International Airport shortly after 11.25 am UAE time for its scheduled journey to London.

Emirates said the aircraft was expected to resume its journey from Frankfurt to Heathrow at approximately 6 pm local time.

“We apologise to customers for the delay. The health and safety of our passengers and crew is always our highest priority,” the airline said.

No further details about the passenger’s condition were immediately available.