A320
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Type 870
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Diverted
Human Factors; Procedure; Airport
Enroute to BUF we were notified by ATC runway 5/23 was closed and the airport was not accepting any aircraft until the following morning. This information matched with NOTAMs. Runway 14/32 was also closed. The flight was delayed because of a divert to ZZZ for weather on our previous leg and an hour waiting for takeoff due to ATC needing spacing for the weather. We and dispatch missed the NOTAM now affecting the delayed arrival. Best alternative was ZZZ1 for divert.
I was the Captain on flight to BUF. The flight was unexpectedly diverted to ZZZ1 due to a missed NOTAM for an airport runway closure 5/23 which was the only operational runway at BUF. On our previous leg; the flight was diverted to due to excessive holding times at our departure airport. The diversion guide was referenced. The decision to divert was 'textbook' and the diversion itself was uneventful but always stressful. The flight was refueled and re-dispatched and landed several hours late. Upon our arrival we proceed directly to the gate to find the flight had been boarded; de-planed; and again re-boarded. Customer frustration was noticeably high. Agents asked us for our best time estimate on how long we would need. I made an estimated guess of about 20 minutes. I pulled up the dispatch paperwork on my iPad and reviewed the documents. In review; I was probably overly fixated on the maintenance release documents and log history due to the number of deferred items. I briefly reviewed the NOTAMS and missed the exact date and time of the runway 5/23 closure. The taxi out was chaotic; complicated by ATC frequency congestion; weather delays; reroutes; and ground stops. Aircraft were being released 20 miles in trail. Weather was still in the area and my focus fixated on ATC; other aircraft; fuel management; and our weather avoidance on departure. The previously discussed NOTAM; was unfortunately; not even in my mindset at this time.Once we departed and was finally clear of the weather about :25 min after departure; I called back to the cabin to release the flight attendants from their jump seats just as ATC called to inform us BUF airport was closed and asked for our intentions. We immediately attempted to contact dispatch; which was difficult due to [radio] issues. We did manage to consult with dispatch via a combination of ACARS messages along with spotty voice communications and planned a diversion to ZZZ1. On descent into ZZZ1; the purser called to inform us we had a medical situation. An epileptic passenger was having a seizure. We did notify dispatch and requested medical assistance upon arrival. Prioritizing the complexity of the unscheduled divert as well as compartmentalizing the various transpiring events; I was unable to contact MEDLINK. MEDLINK was made aware of our situation via dispatch and medical personnel was standing by upon arrival in ZZZ1.The flight landed without incident in ZZZ1; medical personnel was made available to our distressed passenger which later refused their service. The flight was cancelled. The passengers were handled by ZZZ1 operations.
Air carrier flight crew and two dispatchers reported missing a NOTAM stating that runways were closed at the destination airport. The crew only discovered the information while enroute and had to divert.