LIHUE, HI – An Alaska Airlines flight bound for Seattle was forced to land in Honolulu after four flight attendants fell ill due to an unidentified odor in the cabin. The incident occurred on Thursday night on Flight 810, which departed from Lihue (Kauai), Hawaii.
The flight crew reported feeling sick shortly after takeoff, prompting the pilots to divert the plane to Honolulu, where the affected crew members received medical attention. Fortunately, none of the passengers required medical assistance.
Alaska Airlines confirmed that all 119 passengers were rebooked on alternative flights to Seattle. The aircraft involved, a Boeing 737-800, was flown back to Seattle without passengers for further inspection. The cause of the odor remains unknown, and the condition of the hospitalized flight attendants has not been disclosed.
This incident comes at a time when Alaska Airlines is pursuing a merger with Hawaiian Airlines. The company has also faced other challenges this year, including a January incident involving a Boeing 737-9 MAX door plug blowout during a flight.
Furthermore, Boeing recently faced criticism from the National Transportation Safety Board for prematurely sharing details about the investigation into the door plug incident during a media briefing.