A BUSINESSMAN from Taunton was on his flight home from a holiday abroad when his flight was forced to perform an emergency landing.

Howard Millington, from Staplegrove, was all ready to tuck into his mid-flight meal after spending a week in Tunisia on Friday, March 29, but things took a turn when cabin crew requested urgent medical assistance.

Howard explained that, to his knowledge, a child on board the aircraft had experienced a seizure.

“There were a few little kids crying, a lot of people were upset," he said.

After just 15 minutes, the flight which was bound for Bristol airport had landed in Cagliari, Italy.

Emergency services then rushed to the plane, and the child was whisked away in an ambulance, whilst cabin crews attended to passengers and offered bottles of water.

“They were so professional," Howard added.

He said that the captain confirmed the flight plan had changed, and despite the incident, they were back in the air and on the way home in only two to three hours.

A spokesperson for EasyJet said: “We can confirm that flight EZY2968 on 29 March from Enfidha to Bristol diverted to Cagliari due to a passenger onboard requiring urgent medical assistance.

“The safety and wellbeing of our customers is easyJet’s highest priority.

"Our crew are highly trained in procedures to support customers while onboard and arranged for medical services to meet the aircraft on arrival in Cagliari, where the passenger was transferred to hospital before the flight continued to Bristol.

“We wish them a speedy recovery and we are in touch with the family ensure their wellbeing.”