Sanitary malfunction forces plane carrying two cruise ship evacuees to land in Gran Canaria

A medical evacuation aircraft transporting two patients—suspected of having contracted hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius—from Cape Verde to the Netherlands was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Gran Canaria after its isolation bubble ruptured. Morocco had previously denied the plane entry to repair the defect.

The Canary Islands Government delegation clarified that the sanitary issue was the reason the medicalized aircraft was diverted to Gran Canaria’s airport while en route to Marrakech, where it had originally planned to refuel before continuing to Amsterdam.

Initially, the stop in the Canary Islands was reported as a simple refueling maneuver, compelled by Rabat’s objections to allowing the aircraft to land on Moroccan territory.

The government assured that the crew was instructed that no one could board or disembark the plane while it was on Gran Canaria, a condition that was reportedly respected.

The flight had departed Praia International Airport at 11:00 h, intending to land in Marrakech at 16:00 h to take on fuel and then proceed to Amsterdam, with an expected arrival at 17:00 h Dutch time.

Shortly before the scheduled 16:00 h refueling, the aircraft was redirected to Gran Canaria. The revised plan called for departure to the Netherlands at 17:40 h.

However, EFE confirmed that at 18:15 h (Canary Islands time) the plane was still on the ground in Gran Canaria. Later that afternoon, the flight’s itinerary changed again: a stop in Málaga was added before the final leg to the Netherlands, according to the flight‑tracking service Flightradar24.

The Canary Islands Government delegation has not yet confirmed this latest development.

The situation aboard the MV Hondius, which carries 146 passengers, has sparked tension in recent hours between the Spanish central government and the Canary Islands regional administration. The central government acceded to a World Health Organization request to relocate the ship to Tenerife, a move opposed by the autonomous community.