06.05.2026 SWISS Newsbrief #2: Diversion to Almaty

SWISS flight LX123 (HB-IFB, Airbus A350) from Seoul to Zurich was required to make an unscheduled landing in Almaty, Kazakhstan, today, Wednesday, 6 May. The landing in Almaty was necessary due to a medical emergency involving the co-pilot. Fortunately, there were three doctors on board who were able to provide medical assistance to the pilot. Based also on the recommendation of the doctors, the crew decided to divert the flight to Almaty so that the pilot could receive the necessary medical care as quickly as possible. There were 227 passengers and 14 crew members on board the flight.

The ill co-pilot was immediately taken to hospital accompanied by another crew member. Our guests and the remaining crew members are being accommodated in hotels in Almaty. An additional pilot will travel to Almaty today.

Although there are still two other pilots with the current crew on site despite the medical emergency involving their colleague, the flight cannot continue today for regulatory and safety-related reasons. Both colleagues are captains, and cockpit roles and seating positions are clearly defined. Certain procedures, actions and processes must be regularly trained and practised for the respective position to ensure they can be carried out safely in critical situations. For this reason, the continuation of the flight requires a pilot specifically qualified to operate from the co-pilot’s right-hand seat. In addition, the legally prescribed maximum duty times must always be observed. Even if the cockpit crew had been able to continue the flight, these limits would have been exceeded due to the unscheduled stopover, meaning a flight to Zurich would not have been possible.

We fully understand that the unscheduled landing in Almaty and the necessary stay there are causing inconvenience to our guests and affecting their travel plans. We sincerely regret this. At the same time, we kindly ask for understanding that the health and wellbeing of our colleague are the top priority in this situation.

Our teams are doing everything possible to support all those affected during this extraordinary situation. They are proactively informing our guests about the next steps.

Once the additional pilot has arrived and the crew has completed the legally required rest period, the flight will continue to Zurich. At present, we expect the flight to depart from Almaty at 1:45 a.m. local time during the night from Thursday to Friday, with arrival in Zurich scheduled for Friday morning, 8 May, at 6:30 a.m.  

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06.05.2026 SWISS Newsbrief #1: Diversion to Almaty

We confirm that today, Wednesday, 6 May, SWISS flight LX123 (HB-IFB, A350) from Seoul to Zurich had to make an unscheduled landing in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The landing in Almaty was necessary due to a medical emergency involving the co-pilot. Fortunately, there were three doctors on board who were able to provide medical assistance to the pilot. Based also on the recommendation of the doctors, the crew decided to divert the flight to Almaty so that the pilot could receive the necessary medical care as quickly as possible. 

The health and well-being of our colleague are the top priority in this situation. At the same time, we are fully aware that the unscheduled landing has a significant impact on our passengers’ travel plans. We deeply regret this situation and the circumstances associated with it. There were 227 passengers and 14 crew members on board. 

Our teams are doing everything possible to support the ill pilot in this extraordinary situation and to find the best possible solution for our passengers. We kindly ask for your understanding that we are currently unable to provide further details regarding the next steps.

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