Emirates Flight EK203 was quarantined at New York’s JFK International Airport after numerous passengers reportedly fell ill on board.
The exact number of passengers and crew that became sick during the flight remains in controversy.
In a statement to Business Insider, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that “approximately 100 passengers, including some crew on the flight, complained of illness,” but later amended their statement to say that 11 passengers were taken to local hospitals. The exact reason for this significant discrepancy remains unclear.
Emirates initially said the number of sick passengers was about 10, but later upped that figure to 19 people including seven members of the crew.
In an updated statement to Business Insider, the airline confirmed that three passengers and seven crew were transferred to the hospital for further medical care and evaluation. In addition, nine other passengers received additional medical screening at “a site near the aircraft” but were later released, Emirates said.
The cause of the illness remains a mystery. According to the CDC, passengers and crew reported symptoms including cough, fever, and gastrointestinal illness.
The Emirates flight, an Airbus A380 Superjumbo, landed in New York at 9:18 a.m. on Wednesday after a 14-hour trip from Dubai. Pictures posted on social media by passengers show the plane at a remote stand surrounded by an armada of ambulances and emergency response vehicles. The CDC confirmed that there were 549 passengers and crew on board.
Both the CDC and the airline confirmed that all passengers were evaluated by health officials prior to being let off the plane.
“We are requesting the passengers who have been evaluated and released to call their provider and health department if they develop any symptoms, and to give their travel history and report of the incident,” the CDC said in a statement. “They may receive a follow-up call from their health department just as a check-in.”
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the organization operating the airport, was not immediately available for comment.
The aircraft involved in the incident, registration number A6-EUF, returned to service Wednesday afternoon as Emirates Flight EK204 to Dubai.
Passengers on the flight offered their perspective on the incident through social media. Oddly, this included ’90s rapper Vanilla Ice, who claims to have been a passenger on the plane’s upper deck.
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