On Thursday, 
Alaska Airlines
Flight 810 departed Kauai, Hawaii
bound for Seattle, but was diverted and landed at Honolulu after flight attendants mysteriously became ill on the flight.
Simple Flying previously reported that all four female flight attendants
were taken to the hospital. It is still unclear what caused the odor in the cabin and the aircraft is now in Seattle for further examination.
Alaska Airlines flight diverted after strange odor
USA Today reported, “At 11 p.m. local time Thursday, Alaska Airlines Flight 810 left Kauai, Hawaii, and headed for Seattle. Shortly after the plane took off, it was diverted to Honolulu when four flight attendants became sick after an unknown odor was detected in the cabin…” The exact nature of the order and the cause remain unclear.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
Alaska Airlines Flight 810 was carrying 119 passengers and six crew members at the time. Four flight attendants reported feeling sick, but neither the pilots nor passengers did (none of the passengers required medical care).
After deplaning at Honolulu and initial inspections, the aircraft was flown back to Seattle to be evaluated without any passengers onboard for further inspection.
Beat of Hawaii reports that the flight attendants are aged between 28 and 59. Symptoms included nausea and disturbed coordination. After the pilots became aware of the flight attendants’ condition, they decided to divert the flight and return to Hawaii. All flight attendants are reported to be in stable condition after being transported to the hospital, and none are reported.
Photo: Ronen Fefer | Shutterstock
The incident took place during an overnight flight as the Alaska Airlines airplane flew from Lihue to Seattle. The aircraft took off at 23:00 local time and landed in Honolulu around one and a half hours later at 12:37 local time. The aircraft in question is a Boeing 737-800 and is now 14 years old. Alaska Airlines said the passengers were re-accommodated on flights to Seattle on Friday.
Not the first time
Beat of Hawaii notes “It’s far from the first time issues with cabin air have caused flight diversions. Similar events involving air quality issues have been reported across various airlines in recent years, prompting calls for improved ventilation systems and better detection of harmful substances in the cabin.“
Another Alaska Airlines flight experienced a different air quality-related incident in June 2024. That flight (Flight 828 from Honolulu to Anchorage) was also halted after two crew members fell ill and reported a strange odor in the cabin. That particular flight was canceled before departure. Flight cancelations and diversions from cabin odors are reasonably common.
Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock
Separately, in Australia, a
flight attendant was hospitalized after a strange odor on a QantasLink
Boeing 717-200 flight as the aircraft flew from Canberra to Melbourne. That incident took place in October 2023. In May 2024, a
Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 was turned back over the Atlantic
after a strange electric smell was detected on the aircraft.