A commercial flight from Seville was given priority to land at Tenerife South Airport this morning (Thursday) after a passenger suffered a serious medical emergency during the journey.

The crew declared a medical emergency after reporting that a female passenger had become seriously unwell and had lost consciousness. Air traffic controllers immediately gave the aircraft priority clearance to land as quickly as possible.

To reduce the remaining flight time, controllers authorised a direct approach and temporarily changed the airport's normal runway operations. The aircraft was cleared to land on the opposite runway to the one normally in use, allowing it to reach the terminal much faster.

While the aircraft was approaching Tenerife, airport teams coordinated with emergency medical services so that paramedics were waiting on the ground when it arrived. Medical staff were able to reach the passenger immediately after the plane came to a stop.

Air traffic controllers later thanked the crews of other aircraft flying in the area for their cooperation, as several flights had to adjust their routes to allow the emergency landing to take place without delay. They also wished the passenger a full and speedy recovery.