Flight diversions due to in-flight medical emergencies make up a tiny portion of the millions of flights operated annually, but it is costly for airlines.
With more people travelling by air, the actual number of in-flight medical events has been gradually increasing over the years.
Emirates, the largest airline by international traffic, operate over 3,500 departures a week, or more than 194,000 flights in 2016 out of which it said it handled more than 60 flight diversions due to medical emergencies.
A single flight diversion can cost Emirates anything from US$50,000 to over US$600,000, depending on the nature of the diversion which includes fuel, flight catering, landing and ground handling fees, air navigation cost, passenger rebooking costs and onward connection, as well as other associated costs to care for crew and passengers.