30 passengers become ill on United Airlines flight, prompting emergency landing

An aircraft from United Airlines. Photo from United Airlines' Instagram

The Daily Mail states that these passengers, who were among a group of 75 returning from a cruise, started feeling sick on the aircraft during their journey from Vancouver. The symptoms, which included nausea, triggered a response from the Houston Fire Department.

United Airlines confirmed that those affected were part of the same traveling group. The aircraft was carrying a total of 163 passengers along with six crew members.

Following the incident, the airline immediately removed the plane from service to conduct an extensive deep-clean.

USA Today noted that this event followed another health concern on a flight operated by the German leisure airline Condor, which left the East African country Mauritius for Frankfurt last month, where 70 of the 290 passengers experienced acute symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

Despite that, the flight crew managed to proceed as planned, equipped and ready for such emergencies, ensuring a safe landing in Frankfurt where medical personnel attended to the passengers.

A Condor representative stated that the crew remained unaffected by the illness and highlighted the ongoing probe to ascertain the cause of the sickness, suggesting a potential link to the meals served onboard from Mauritius. The airline is working with all pertinent partners and authorities, although no definitive findings have been disclosed yet.