Dr Trinh holding makeshift notes as the patient grips her hand.
A routine Qantas flight from London to Singapore became an extraordinary tale of medical intervention and logistical coordination when three Australian doctors worked together to save a passenger’s life at 35,000 feet.
Dr Tanya Trinh, a Sydney ophthalmologist, was among 400 passengers aboard Qantas Flight 2 on 10 June when a fellow traveller suffered a life-threatening cardiac emergency six hours into the 13-hour journey. Within 20 minutes of the crisis unfolding, the medical team made the critical decision to divert the Airbus A380 to Baku, Azerbaijan.
“Managing an inflight emergency was definitely not on my growing list of ‘To Dos’ when I left London,” Dr Trinh said, reflecting on the experience that began after she attended the 2025 American-European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery.
Dr Tanya Trinh, a Sydney ophthalmologist, was among 400 passengers aboard Qantas Flight 2 on 10 June when a fellow traveller suffered a life-threatening cardiac emergency
Dr Trinh was first to respond to the aircraft’s medical assistance call, quickly joined by colorectal surgeons Dr Hamish Urquhart and Dr Stephen Tobin. The trio faced immediate challenges, including the plane’s proximity to Afghan airspace – a region where turning back would be impossible once entered.
“We were a mere 20 to 25 minutes from entering the airspace over Afghanistan,” Dr Trinh explained. “Once within, there was no possibility of turning back nor landing, and the nearest place of safety was Mumbai, some three hours away. So we needed to make a decision, and promptly.”
The medical team relocated the patient to the aircraft’s rear section for better assessment and treatment. Working in the confined space required considerable innovation – Qantas staff provided an empty wine bottle as a makeshift sharps container, while a coat hanger suspended from a galley cupboard served as an improvised IV pole.
Resourcefulness Under Pressure
“Necessity is the mother of invention,” Dr Trinh noted. “Where do you hang an intravenous line when you don’t have access to an IV pole? The staff rapidly innovated with a coat hanger that we hung off the latch of one of the cupboards in the galley.”
The challenging environment meant returning to basic assessment techniques. Standard blood pressure readings proved nearly impossible due to aircraft noise, forcing the doctors to rely on peripheral warmth, capillary refill times, and mental status monitoring.
Technology played an unexpected role in the assessment. The patient’s smartwatch provided crucial baseline cardiac data, helping the medical team understand the severity of the situation. “Taking photos on my mobile phone as a way to ‘time stamp’ each change in her stability or intervention was also incredibly helpful,” Dr Trinh said.
Critical Decision Making
When the patient’s condition deteriorated during assessment, the three-hour journey to Mumbai became untenable. The decision to divert to Baku required finding an airport that met three criteria: political safety, runway capacity for an A380, and adequate medical facilities.
The drama continued after landing. A routine maintenance warning required inspection by a licensed engineer flown from London, as Baku airport lacked personnel qualified to service such large aircraft. This created a new challenge – accommodating 400 passengers in a city where tourist visas typically take three days to process.
Coordinated Response
The timing proved particularly challenging, coinciding with Eid celebrations that reduced airport staffing to minimal levels. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade expedited visa processing from three days to three hours, while Qantas coordinated accommodation and transport for all passengers.
Dr Trinh praised the airline’s response. “Nothing was too much trouble… the way they prioritised safety and efficiency above all else was exemplary.”
The successful outcome vindicated the difficult decision. The patient received necessary urgent care, and the medical team’s intervention proved life-saving rather than precautionary.
“Receiving that news – and knowing it was no false alarm – honestly made everything all worthwhile,” Dr Trinh concluded.
