Medical emergency landing of a Lufthansa Boeing 747 from Brazil at Palma de Mallorca airport

Palma de Mallorca airport witnessed a significant security deployment following the emergency landing of a Lufthansa Boeing 747 jumbo jet from Sao Paulo due to a medical emergency involving a 57-year-old Brazilian passenger experiencing cardiorespiratory arrest.

Lufthansa flight LH507 of 9 January, operated by Boeing 747-400 registered D-ABTL, was scheduled to leave Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) at 18:45 (UTC-3) with destination Frankfurt (FRA). It departed some 90 minutes late. Eight hours into the flight, while flying over the Mediterranean Sea, a female passenger suffered a cardiac arrest and the pilots decided to divert to the closest airport, Palma de Mallorca (PMI).

This local response involved numerous National Police, Civil Guard, airport security, and emergency personnel, reflecting measures taken after a 2021 incident when migrants left a plane during a medical stopover and entered the country illegally.

The emergency landing, a relatively common occurrence, prompted immediate medical attention for the passenger, stabilising her before her transfer to Son Llàtzer Hospital.

Authorities emphasised the heightened security was to prevent a recurrence of previous incidents involving unauthorised entry to the country during similar stops due to medical emergencies.

The flight took off from Palma to its final destination Frankfurt after two and a half hours on the ground. It arrived at the German hub at 13:55 (UTC+1) on 10 January, with a delay of 4 hours.

Source:  Diario de Mallorca, Flightradar24