An Air India Express spokesperson said the crew opted to divert the flight to Karachi as it was the closest location to provide the ailing passenger with immediate medical assistance.

Karachi (Pakistan): An Amritsar-bound Air India Express flight from Dubai was forced to make an emergency landing at the Karachi Airport in Pakistan after a passenger aboard the plane faced a sudden medical complication during the journey.

According to an Air India Express spokesperson, the crew opted to divert the flight to Karachi as it was the closest location to provide the ailing passenger with immediate medical assistance.

The Air India Express flight departed from Dubai at 8:51 am (local time) and landed in Karachi at 12:30 pm (local time), the spokesperson said.

“A guest on board our Dubai-Amritsar flight had a sudden medical complication inflight, and the crew opted to divert to Karachi, given that it was the closest location to provide immediate medical assistance,” the spokesperson said, according to news agency ANI.

The airline closely coordinated with the airport and local authorities, and the guest was provided with immediate medical services after landing in Karachi.

The spokesperson further said that the airport doctor at Karachi administered required medication and after medical assessment, the passenger was allowed to fly by the airport medical team.

Later, the flight departed from Karachi at 2:30 pm (local time) on its way to Amritsar.

Following the incident, the airline spokesperson further extended gratitude to the local authorities at Karachi airport for their help.

“We would like to extend our gratitude to the local authorities at Karachi airport for their immediate response and help,” the spokesperson added.

Earlier, in a similar incident in March this year, a Mumbai-bound IndiGo flight from Bangkok was diverted to Rangoon (Yangon) in Myanmar after a passenger onboard died due to medical complications.

In a statement issued at the time, IndiGo had said the passenger suffered a medical complication onboard and was ‘declared dead’ by the airport medical team upon arrival.

“IndiGo flight 6E-57, operating from Bangkok to Mumbai was diverted to Rangoon due to a medical emergency on board. Unfortunately, on arrival, the passenger was declared dead by the airport medical team,” the airline had said in a statement.