Jetstar plane turns back for emergency Sydney landing and passengers evacuated due to medical emergency

A Jetstar flight from Sydney to Darwin was turned back last night after a passenger started vomiting blood during the flight’s ascent.

Paramedics in HAZMAT suits met the flight in Sydney around 10:30pm but a Jetstar spokesman said that was standard procedure due to the vomiting.

It is understood the man’s illness was related to a pre-existing renal condition.

A Jetstar spokesman said the passenger presented as “gravely unwell” about an hour into the journey and the captain made the decision to turn back based on medical advice.

After arriving back in Sydney the man, aged in his 50s, was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

There is no suggestion the incident is related to the current Ebola scare that has now seen five US airports introduce extra screening for passengers.

Quarantine officials examined the plane and the man, aged in his 50s, was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

The 140 Passengers on board were escorted off the plane and put up for the night in hotels.

A Jetstar spokesman said the man’s medical condition was not contagious and it was not related to Ebola.

“About an hour out of Sydney there was a decision made to return to Sydney because it was the nearest diversion point and a medical situation had emerged on board,” he said.

“A passenger presented fairly unwell and ill they were vomiting and we did some investigating and it was determined they had a pre-existing medical condition.

“We were given advice that in the interest of their well-being that we should turn back so they could get medical treatment.”

He said it was “not contagious or communicable” and there was “no suggestion” it was Ebola.

Jetstar will fly the 140 stranded passengers out tonight on a flight scheduled for the same time at 8.45pm which will fly in addition to the existing flight. They were put up in hotels overnight.

In  coming days, passengers will have their temperatures taken on arrivals at New York’s JFK airport, Newark Airport in New Jersey, Washington ‘s Dulles, O’Hare in Chicago and Atlanta’s  Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.

Those airports receive about 94 per cent of all passengers arriving into the US from the three worst Ebola hit countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Australian Airports have no plans to start taking temperatures of arriving passengers, a Federal Health Department spokeswoman said.

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