An Air Canada flight en route from Newark, New Jersey, to Halifax, Nova Scotia, was diverted to Boston's Logan International Airport on Wednesday after the captain experienced a medical emergency.
Flight AC7664, operated by PAL Airlines, was carrying 61 passengers when the captain became ill and was removed from the flight deck in accordance with safety protocols, Air Canada confirmed to Fox News.
The first officer assumed sole control of the De Havilland Q400 turboprop and landed the aircraft safely in Boston at 1:37 p.m. local time. Airline officials stated that pilots are trained to operate and land aircraft independently if necessary.
The Massachusetts Port Authority confirmed that emergency services responded to the crew upon landing. The captain was taken for medical treatment in Boston, but their specific condition was not immediately released. The cause of the medical issue remains unclear.
Air Canada is arranging alternative travel for the affected passengers to reach Halifax. This incident occurred months after an Air Canada jet and a fire truck collided on the runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport in March.