A dead body was reportedly kept on a British Airways flight for more than 13 hours while the aircraft continued from Hong Kong to London.
A woman in her 60s is said to have died shortly after the plane departed the Chinese city. Despite this, the flight is reported to have carried on to the UK on Sunday (March 15) rather than returning to Hong Kong.
As the Airbus A350-1000 neared London, some passengers allegedly began complaining about an unpleasant smell inside the cabin.
A source described the situation and the reaction on board.
“Obviously the family with the woman were distraught, and so were the crew.
“Many wanted to return to Hong Kong. But, to put it bluntly, if a passenger has already died, that is not viewed as an emergency.”
They also claimed there was debate among staff about how to manage the situation during the long-haul journey.
“A discussion was had about what to do with the body — with the flightdeck’s request to lock it in a toilet rejected by crew.
“So they had to isolate the body, wrap it in materials, and move it to a galley at the rear of the plane.
“The galley had a heated floor, which some crew had overlooked, and towards the end of the flight there were claims that a foul smell was present in that region.”
Police were reportedly on the tarmac when the aircraft arrived at Heathrow. It’s also claimed that more than 300 passengers were asked to remain seated for around 45 minutes after landing while inquiries were carried out.
British Airways has since confirmed that a passenger died during the flight, and said the airline followed its procedures.
“A customer sadly passed away on board and our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time,” a spokesperson said, adding: “We are supporting our crew and all procedures were correctly followed.”
While deaths in the air are uncommon, they do happen. Mandy Smith, a former Virgin Atlantic flight attendant, previously spoke about how crews may handle the situation if someone dies onboard.
Speaking to LADbible for its Honesty Box YouTube series, Smith said:
“This has not happened to me, thankfully. It has happened to a friend of mine, where they’ve had a passenger pass away on the flight.
“We used to have to put passengers in the bathrooms, and then lock the bathrooms off.”
Smith explained that using the bathroom could create complications later.
“Because they would be seated on the toilet, as they sat there – if rigor mortis set in – then they would be then stuck in that position, and they wouldn’t be able to fit in their coffin,” Smith explained.
She added that current practice may involve moving the person to a different area of the cabin while supporting those affected.
“Unfortunately, now, we have to lay them across the front of the seats and try and calm their loved ones down.”
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].