Passenger dies on New York flight diverted to Shannon

The Alitalia flight was diverted yesterday afternoon due to passenger illness.

AN ALITALIA FLIGHT from Rome to New York had to be diverted to Shannon after two passengers became ill.

One of the passengers is reported to have died from their illness.

The Irish Aviation Authority confirmed that Alitalia flight AZA610 en route from Rome Fiumicino to New York JFK diverted to Shannon at 4.16pm yesterday due to passenger illness.

The Irish Times reports that the crew declared a May Day after a passenger suffered a heart attack. It says that a passenger aged 80 was pronounced dead at the scene after medics boarded the plane at Shannon.

The second passenger was brought to University Hospital Limerick.

The airline has not yet supplied a comment on the situation.

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