Alicante flight to UK forced into lockdown on landing
A passenger aboard the Jet2 flight from Spain came down with a suspected case of chickenpox
Cabin crew aboard a Jet2 flight from Alicante to Belfast had to declare a medical emergency this week and temporarily lock down the plane and all passengers on board when one traveller developed symptoms that looked like the highly-contagious chickenpox.
When the plane touched down at Belfast International Airport, all passengers were told to remain in their seats to await the arrival of Port Health officials, who boarded flight LS302 to investigate the situation.
A spokesperson for Jet2 said: “We can confirm that Port Health officials boarded flight LS302 earlier today after reports of a customer showing possible chicken pox symptoms. Customers have now departed the aircraft after a short delay, and we apologise for any inconvenience.”
The reaction of the airline may seem extreme, but chickenpox is incredibly infectious and can be quite serious, particularly in adults. In general, older people display more severe symptoms than children and they tend to last longer, but the health scare can often develop into more dangerous conditions such as bacterial infections, sepsis, dehydration and pneumonia.
According to the NHS: “Chickenpox is very itchy and can make children feel miserable, even if they do not have many spots.
“The chickenpox spots look the same on children and adults. But adults usually have a high temperature for longer and more spots than children.”
Earlier this month, an easyJet flight from Bristol to Malaga suffered huge delays before ever leaving the tarmac when around 30 drunk British passengers became very rowdy and disruptive. Despite the fact that the plane was taxing along the runway, several travellers stood up and insisted they be allowed to use the toilet.
Eventually, all were removed from the plane by police.
Image: Jet2
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