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Passengers quarantined after falling ill on Virgin Atlantic flight to Gatwick

Passengers on board a Virgin Atlantic flight from Barbados to London Gatwick were quarantined following an outbreak of illness on the plane this morning. 

Emergency services met the plane, which was travelling from Bridgetown, when it landed in London at around 5.25am today after passengers suffered from a "chesty cough", the BBC reported. 

Passenger Trevor Wilson wrote on Twitter: "Currently been stuck on plane at Gatwick for 90 minutes due to sickness on board. Now told we are being taken to a holding centre to be assessed.

"Mainly a bad chesty cough possibly chest infection. Seems to originate from the cruise ship. Flight was a charter carrying cruise passengers from one ship."

A Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said: "A number of customers on board a charter flight from Barbados to London Gatwick this morningreported feeling unwell onboard.

"The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always our absolute priority, and local ambulance services attended the aircraft upon landing to provide medical assistance.

"We are working closely with London Gatwick Airport and medical teams to offer assistance to customers, and will conduct a full investigation into the circumstances.”