BA pilot falls unconcious prompting mid-air emergency and diversion

BA flight from London Heathrow to Athens was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in Zurich, Switzerland on Boxing Day after the First Officer slipped into unconsciousness while at the controls, the airline confirmed on Sunday. A spokesperson for BA said the safety of passengers and crew members was not compromised despite the dramatic turn of events. BA flight BA640 departed at around 8.10 am on Saturday morning for what should have been a near three hour flight to the Greek capital. As the plane neared Zadar in Croatia, however, the Captain reportedly decided to make an airborne return to Heathrow because the First Officer was feeling unwell. The co-pilot was so sick that the Captain indicated that he was considering a medical diversion to either Paris or Zurich. As the plane neared Zurich, the First Officer fell unconscious prompting the Captain to make an unscheduled stop in Switzerland. The plane landed safely in Zurich without further incident and eventually departed for Athens nearly six hours later. A spokesperson said that the plane remained in the full control of the Captain saying: “The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority and our teams looked after customers before they carried on their journey to Athens yesterday evening.”<br/>