Flyer sick, Vietnam Airlines plane makes emergency landing in Kol
Times of India | 8 January 2026
Kolkata: A Vietnam Airlines flight from Frankfurt to Hanoi made a priority landing at Kolkata airport on Tuesday night after a foreign passenger on board suffered a brain haemorrhage, prompting the crew to declare a medical emergency and divert the aircraft. There were 276 passengers on board.
The ailing passenger was identified as 66-year-old German national Ludwig Manfred Buhler. Sources said his condition deteriorated mid-flight and he began experiencing convulsions. When the aircraft was flying over Varanasi, the pilot informed Kolkata Air Traffic Control (ATC) about the passenger's condition and sought permission for an emergency landing to facilitate medical treatment. The aircraft was then diverted to Kolkata.
After landing, doctors at the airport examined Buhler, following which he was rushed to a private hospital off EM Bypass. Doctors later said he had suffered severe brain haemorrhage and required immediate surgery. The hospital authorities subsequently informed the German embassy.