A Ryanair passenger jet bound for Marrakesh, Morocco, was forced to make an unscheduled landing at Birmingham Airport yesterday after someone on board became unwell.
The aircraft had departed Edinburgh Airport at 7.22am on Sunday morning, heading for the popular North African destination.
However, the flight never reached Morocco and instead touched down at Birmingham at 11.15am.
The diversion meant the plane landed roughly 250 miles south of its departure point rather than completing the journey to Marrakesh.
Emergency medical personnel were waiting on the ground when the aircraft arrived at the West Midlands airport.
A Ryanair spokesman told GB News: “This flight from Edinburgh to Marrakesh (Sep 13) diverted to Birmingham after a passenger onboard became ill.”
The airline added: “The aircraft was met by paramedics upon landing at Birmingham Airport, and the passenger was offloaded for further treatment.”
The carrier provided no further information about the nature of the passenger’s illness or their condition after the emergency landing.
It remains unclear how many other passengers were aboard the flight and whether they were able to continue their journey to Morocco after the unscheduled stop.
Edinburgh Airport, situated in the Ingliston area approximately six miles west of the city centre, is Scotland’s busiest aviation hub.
It operates a single terminal serving both domestic and international routes, with Ryanair among its major carriers alongside easyJet and Loganair.
Birmingham Airport, meanwhile, ranks as the seventh busiest in the United Kingdom.
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Located in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, around seven miles east-south-east of Birmingham’s centre, it functions as a key gateway for the wider West Midlands region.
The two airports sit roughly 250 miles apart as the crow flies, and a typical direct flight between them takes about one hour and 10 minutes.
Marrakesh has become a major draw for British holidaymakers, consistently attracting the largest share of UK visitors travelling to Morocco.
The country has emerged as Africa’s leading travel destination, overtaking more traditional competitors on the continent.
Britain is one of Morocco’s fastest-growing source markets for tourism, with UK visitor numbers reaching unprecedented levels in recent years.
More than two million passengers flew between the two countries in 2025 alone.
The Moroccan city drives the nation’s tourism sector, which has become a cornerstone of its economy.
GB News have reached out to Ryanair for further comment.
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