Medical teams wearing protective suits boarded a Eurowings aircraft at Düsseldorf Airport after several passengers fell ill with suspected norovirus during a flight from the Greek island of Rhodes to Germany.
Airport authorities activated an emergency response after the cabin crew requested priority landing on October 18, 2026, following reports of severe gastrointestinal symptoms among passengers.
Three people received medical attention after the aircraft landed, while emergency personnel in protective clothing were seen attending to those affected.
The incident comes amid a wider outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on Rhodes, where more than 1,400 patients had reportedly been treated at the island’s hospital for related symptoms since mid-August, according to figures reported on October 2.
Authorities have not confirmed that the illnesses on board the aircraft were caused by norovirus or directly linked to the outbreak on Rhodes.
Passengers fall ill during flight
Passengers aboard Eurowings flight EW9631 from Rhodes to Düsseldorf began experiencing symptoms during the journey, prompting the crew to request an expedited landing.
Nathalie Gombik, 28, from Breckerfeld in Germany, was among those on board.
She described the scene after landing as alarming, with ambulances and emergency personnel wearing protective clothing waiting for the aircraft.
Several passengers reportedly suffered vomiting and other symptoms during the flight. Gombik said she knew of three people who were affected, while others also appeared to be unwell.
Passengers were required to remain on board for approximately 90 minutes before being permitted to disembark.
A Eurowings spokesperson confirmed that several passengers became seriously unwell during the flight.
“We can confirm that several guests on Eurowings flight EW9631 from Rhodes to Düsseldorf on 18 October 2026 felt very unwell during the flight,” the spokesperson said.
The crew requested priority landing, after which medical personnel examined and treated three affected passengers at the airport.
Rhodes grapples with gastrointestinal illness
The incident has drawn attention to the ongoing outbreak of gastrointestinal illness reported on Rhodes.
Figures published on October 2 indicated that more than 1,400 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms had been treated at Rhodes Hospital since mid-August.
Norovirus is one possible cause of such symptoms, but the illnesses reported on the flight have not been conclusively attributed to the virus.
Norovirus is highly contagious and commonly causes sudden vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. It can spread through contaminated food and water, contact with infected people and contaminated surfaces.
Symptoms generally develop 12 to 48 hours after exposure and usually last between one and three days.
People are particularly contagious while experiencing symptoms and during the first few days after recovery. The virus can continue to be shed for two weeks or longer after symptoms disappear.
Health authorities generally recommend thorough handwashing with soap and water, careful cleaning of contaminated surfaces and avoiding food preparation for others while ill and for at least 48 hours after symptoms stop.
The cause of the passengers’ illnesses, and whether they were connected to the reported outbreak on Rhodes, remains unconfirmed.
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