All kinds of mishaps have plagued airplane flights lately. Near misses and unruly passengers are among the problems that have cropped up in the skies from time to time. However, for one flight, the issue was some people onboard becoming extremely ill. According to The New York Post, "Medics in hazmat suits were filmed boarding a plane in Germany after a suspected norovirus outbreak left multiple passengers being violently sick onboard."
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Per the CDC, norovirus is "very contagious." It typically results in diarrhea and vomiting.
According to the Post, Eurowings Flight 9631 traveled from Rhodes, Greece, to Dusseldorf, Germany. It was apparently a nerve-wracking and scary scene when the plane landed. Medical personnel came on board in protective gear to help the stricken individuals. Ambulances were also at the ready for the sickened people as well.
One Passenger Gave Her Account of the Situation
Nathalie Gombik, 28, a bartender, shared her allegedly first-hand observations with Need To Know. Per the outlet, a number odf passengers started to vomit. "Seeing so many ambulances and emergency personnel in protective clothing after landing was quite shocking," Gombik, of Breckerfeld, Germany, said.
Furthermore, she mentioned, "During the flight, several passengers became ill. I know for certain that three passengers were affected, but it appeared that approximately three more were also experiencing symptoms. Some passengers were vomiting during the flight."
She was reportedly able to film the alarming goings-on.
Flight Attendants Reportedly Tried To Maintain Normalcy
Gombik added, "The flight attendants remained calm, composed and discreet throughout the incident. As passengers, we barely noticed the extent of what was happening behind the scenes. At the time, we had no idea that a mass casualty incident had reportedly been declared, that numerous ambulances had been mobilised or that our aircraft had reportedly been given priority for landing."
She noted, "You board a plane expecting a normal journey home from your holiday, completely unaware that such a large emergency response is being organised on the ground. We had to remain on board for approximately 90 minutes before we were finally allowed to disembark."
Per the outlet, Nathalie Gombik started having symptoms herself days later, on Tuesday, October 20. "According to reports at least three passengers have been hospitalised."
The New York Post points out that a norovirus outbreak started in Rhodes in mid-simmer.
Eurowings Released a Statement About the Incident
Per the Post, Eurowings said this in a statement about the illness that affected their flight. "We can confirm that several guests on Eurowings flight EW9631 from Rhodes to Dusseldorf on 18 October 2026 felt very unwell during the flight. The flight crew therefore requested a priority landing at Dusseldorf Airport. After landing, medical staff examined and cared for three affected guests on site. As a precaution, these guests went to hospital. All other guests continued their journeys home as normal,"
The statement added, "There were 212 guests and seven crew members on board. The cause of the symptoms is unclear and is being looked into. The safety and health of our guests and crews is always Eurowings' top priority."
