Hantavirus MedEvac diverted to Gran Canaria after Morocco refuses stopover

A medical evacuation flight (flight number RHH23) carrying two hantavirus patients from the expedition ship MV Hondius to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, was forced to divert to Gran Canaria on 6 May 2026 after Morocco denied permission for a planned refuelling stop in Marrakech.

The Red Star Aviation Learjet 45 registered TC-RSD landed at Gando Air Base around 16:30 local time. After arrival, an onboard doctor reported a malfunction in the electrical support system for one patient. The aircraft remains on the tarmac, with the patient connected to ground power while awaiting a replacement aircraft or technical resolution.

Spanish health authorities stated the situation poses no public health risk. The flight’s routing has since been revised, with a stopover in Málaga scheduled for Thursday before continuing to the Netherlands.

The incident is part of a broader response to confirmed hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius, which has sparked tensions between Spain’s central government and Canary Islands authorities over plans to bring the ship to Tenerife under World Health Organization guidance.

KLM confirms hantavirus victim was briefly onboard Johannesburg flight

A 69-year-old Dutch woman who later died from hantavirus had briefly boarded a KLM aircraft in Johannesburg on 25 April 2026 but was denied travel due to her medical condition. She was taken to hospital and died the following day. Her death is linked to the outbreak that has also claimed the lives of her husband and a German national, all passengers of MV Hondius.