Emirates flight EK31 from Dubai to Heathrow diverted to Frankfurt on Thursday 1 October after a passenger suffered a medical emergency on board, delaying the aircraft's arrival into London by several hours.
The Airbus A380 squawked 7700, the standard transponder code pilots use to signal a general emergency to air traffic control, as it descended into Frankfurt on Thursday evening, according to flight-tracking data reported by Khaleej Times. Emirates confirmed the diversion and said cabin crew assisted the passenger throughout the flight while medical support was arranged on the ground ahead of landing.
"Emirates can confirm that flight EK31 from Dubai to London Heathrow diverted to Frankfurt on 1 October due to a medical emergency involving a passenger onboard," an Emirates spokesperson said. The statement was reported independently by both Khaleej Times and Gulf News, which each confirmed it directly with the airline.
The aircraft landed safely in Frankfurt, where the affected passenger disembarked to receive further medical treatment. Emirates said the flight was expected to resume its journey to Heathrow at around 6pm local time in Frankfurt (8pm UAE time), meaning passengers on board faced a delay of several hours before reaching London.
"We apologise to customers for the delay. The health and safety of our passengers and crew is always our highest priority," the airline said.
EK31 is one of Emirates' daily A380 services between Dubai and Heathrow. Diversions for mid-air medical emergencies are not unusual and airlines routinely choose major airports such as Frankfurt, which can accommodate large aircraft and have good onward medical facilities, rather than continuing to the original destination.
There is no indication of wider disruption to Heathrow's schedule. The delay affects passengers travelling on EK31 specifically; the airport's other arrivals and departures were operating normally at the time of writing.
What this means for your journey: if you are collecting a passenger off EK31 or have a connection booked around its arrival, check Emirates' live flight status before setting off, since its Heathrow touchdown will be running several hours behind schedule. If you are waiting at the airport for a delayed arrival, see our /public-transport/ guide for options to and from the terminals while you wait.