Air passengers are grappling with disbelief following reports that the body of a deceased traveler was kept in a heated galley for over 13 hours during a long-haul flight. The incident has sparked widespread attention.
According to The Sun, the tragic event unfolded shortly after a British Airways flight, BA32, departed Hong Kong for London last Sunday. A woman in her 60s passed away approximately an hour into the journey. Despite the circumstances, the pilots decided to continue on to Heathrow Airport rather than returning to Hong Kong.
Insiders revealed that the Airbus A350-1000, used for the flight, features a galley with a heated floor. By the end of the journey, there were reports of a noticeable odor emanating from that area.
The distress was palpable among both the family of the deceased and the flight crew. “The family was understandably heartbroken, and the crew shared in their sorrow,” one source mentioned. “There was a desire to turn back, but the protocol doesn’t classify a death as an emergency warranting such action.”
In response to the situation, British Airways stated that their crew adhered to all necessary procedures. The airline’s assurance comes in the wake of the unsettling incident that has left many questioning the protocols for handling such unfortunate events during flights.
British Airways told Fox News Digital that its crew followed all procedures.
“A customer sadly passed away on board and our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time,” the airline said. “We are supporting our crew and all procedures were correctly followed.”
Travelers walk through a terminal at Heathrow Airport. (Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images)
A source told The Sun that a discussion took place about what to do with the body, with the crew rejecting a request from the flight deck to lock it in the plane’s bathroom.
“So they had to isolate the body, wrap it in materials, and move it to a galley at the rear of the plane,” the source said, adding that the area had a heated floor.
British Airways Boeing 777 taxiing for take off, surrounded by other planes on the runway. (iStock)
The outlet said that once the plane landed last Sunday, police asked the 331 passengers on board to stay in their seats for roughly 45 minutes while they investigated the onboard death.
British Airways did not receive a formal complaint regarding the incident, but The Sun reported that some passengers took time off work to recover from the ordeal.
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