US-bound flight turns back to Dublin as doctor assists in medical emergency

by Patrick Flynn

An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to the US has returned to the airport after making a U-turn over the North Atlantic.

It’s understood the crew of Aer Lingus flight EI-123 declared a medical emergency about 90 minutes after departure.

Flight 123 departed Dublin shortly before midday and was bound for Chicago, when cabin crew staff became aware there was a passenger in difficulty.

The crew of the Airbus A330-300 turned around south of Iceland requesting clearance to return to Dublin.

It’s understood that a doctor on board jumped into action and assessed the passenger before a decision was made to turn back.

The flight crew requested that emergency medical services be available to board the aircraft as soon as possible after they reached the terminal.

When the crew confirmed they would be making an overweight landing, airport fire services were placed on standby as a precaution.

The flight landed safely at 3.35pm and was met by fire crews who checked to ensure whether the aircraft’s braking system had overheated after touch down.

Once the crew confirmed that all indications in the cockpit were within limits, the aircraft taxied to the terminal were paramedics were waiting to treat the patient.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the flight would continue its journey this afternoon