A double-deck airliner bound for London was forced to land at Vancouver International Airport overnight after as many as 25 crew members fell ill.
Anxious passengers from British Airways flight 286 said ambulances, firefighters and police were waiting when the massive Airbus A380 landed at YVR just hours after taking off from San Francisco Monday night.
Dozens of crew members were taken to three different area hospitals, in Richmond, Delta and Vancouver. Few details about their symptoms have been confirmed, but health officials told CTV News some complained of feeling sick after smelling fumes.
All of them have since been released.
British Airways arranged to have all of the passengers put up in hotels, but some said they are still frustrated with the lack of information being shared about what happened.
Liz Keller said after the plane landed, the crew disembarked and firefighters boarded the plane in respirators.
"Finally after about a half hour of being seated on the plane and waiting we were allowed to disembark," Keller said. "It was very odd and there wasn't really much of any explanation of what was going on."
About 12 hours after the fact, Keller said it was concerning how few details were forthcoming, leaving her to wonder whether she and other passengers had been exposed to anything harmful.
British Airways issued a brief statement Tuesday morning that said it is still investigating what happened.
The airline also promised to book passengers onto alternative flights as quickly as possible.
British Airways' Airbus A380 jetliners can hold up to 469 passengers, but it's unclear how many people were on board Monday's flight.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Nafeesa Karim
