A 28-year-old woman was found dead in her airplane seat after a four-hour Volaris flight to southern Mexico.
The passenger, whose name has not been released, was discovered unresponsive when fellow travelers noticed she was not moving as they filed off the plane in Tijuana, according to Mexican outlet Diario del Sur. She had been seated among other passengers throughout the smooth flight, and no disturbance had been reported during the journey.
The aircraft had departed from Tijuana and landed in Chiapas early Wednesday morning. It was only when the disembarkation process began that the woman’s condition became apparent to those around her. Other passengers realized something was wrong when she failed to stir as the row emptied.
Video footage shot inside the airport appeared to show officials removing the young woman’s body from the aircraft and carrying it away in what looked like a sheet. The footage circulated online in the hours after the incident, drawing attention to the tragedy.
An autopsy is currently underway to determine the precise cause of death. Preliminary findings, however, have pointed toward cardiorespiratory arrest as the likely cause, according to the local outlet’s reporting.
The passenger had reportedly returned to Chiapas to visit her family after working in the border city. Her trip home ended in the fatal episode that left those on the flight and her loved ones devastated.
The airline, a low-cost Mexican carrier, has not yet issued a public statement regarding the incident. The circumstances of how the passenger’s condition went unnoticed throughout the flight remain unclear, and it is unknown whether crew members had checked on her or if she had appeared unwell during the journey.
The death marks the second high-profile in-flight fatality in recent months. Rain McMillen Walmsley died on a Los Angeles-bound Southwest flight after suffering a medical episode on board, an incident that occurred roughly two months prior to the Chiapas tragedy.
Volaris operates extensively across Mexico and to destinations in the United States and Central America. The carrier, like other budget airlines, has faced scrutiny over passenger welfare and service conditions, though no link has been established between airline practices and this particular death.
The young woman’s body was transported for further examination as authorities work to complete the autopsy and notify her family members. Local officials have not indicated whether foul play is suspected.