Emirates flight quarantined in New York after passengers fall ill

An Emirates airliner carrying more than 500 passengers was quarantined on a New York City runway after reports of a large number of people falling ill on Wednesday.

At least 19 people on board the flight from Dubai were confirmed ill when the aircraft landed at John F Kennedy International Airport.

About 100 people complained of feeling sick on the flight from the Middle East, with symptoms including coughing and fever, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement.

CDC health officers worked with other agencies to evaluate passengers, including taking temperatures and making arrangements for transport to hospitals, spokesman Benjamin Haynes said.

Ten people were taken to hospitals while the other nine declined treatment, said Raul Contreras, a spokesman for the New York City mayor’s office.

Diala Makki was on the aircraft when she learned from flight crew that a number of people had become sick.

“The Emirates cabin crew were super-helpful, they were not in panic mode, which was amazing,” said Makki.

Emirates Airline is wholly owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai, which is controlled by Dubai’s government. It is the largest airline in the Middle East.

The CDC did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.