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Air travelers expressed disbelief following reports that the body of a deceased passenger was allegedly kept in a heated galley for over 13 hours during a lengthy flight.
The incident involved a woman in her 60s who passed away approximately an hour after takeoff on British Airways Flight BA32, which was en route from Hong Kong to London last Sunday. Rather than turning back, the pilots decided to continue the flight to Heathrow Airport, as reported by The Sun.
An insider revealed to the publication that the Airbus A350-1000’s galley features a heated floor, which reportedly led to an unpleasant odor being noticeable in that section by the journey’s end.
A British Airways Airbus A391-131 is pictured landing at Heathrow Airport in west London on April 29, 2024. (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
“Understandably, the woman’s family was devastated, and the crew was equally upset,” the source conveyed. “Many suggested returning to Hong Kong, but bluntly put, once a passenger has died, it’s not categorized as an emergency situation.”
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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