LONDON — An American Airlines flight bound for New York made an unscheduled overnight landing at London Heathrow Airport after a medical emergency arose mid-flight over Europe.
American Airlines Flight AA293, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (registration N837AN), departed Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on September 17, 2026, at 11:15 PM local time (18:15 UTC). The long-haul service was scheduled to operate non-stop to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport with an estimated flight time of 16 hours and 10 minutes.
But roughly six hours into the journey, while cruising at 36,000 feet over Italian airspace, the flight crew alerted air traffic control to a medical emergency on board according to FlightRadar24 and initiated a change of course.
The aircraft initially descended to 30,000 feet while pilots evaluated a potential emergency landing at Munich Airport in Germany. However, after further assessment, the crew climbed back to cruising altitude at 36,000 feet and redirected the Dreamliner northwest toward the United Kingdom.
Flight AA293 touched down safely on Runway 27L at London Heathrow at 4:15 AM local time on September 18. Medical personnel met the aircraft at the gate to provide immediate assistance to the affected passenger.
