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An easyJet flight from Malaga to London was delayed nearly 12 hours after an 89-year-old British passenger died on board shortly before takeoff, sparking claims from fellow travellers that the woman appeared lifeless when she was wheeled onto the aircraft.
The woman was assisted onto flight EZY8070 to Gatwick by five family members on Wednesday morning. Multiple passengers said she appeared slumped and unconscious in a wheelchair as she was taken to the rear of the aircraft.
According to witness accounts reported in British media, family members told ground staff the woman was unwell and asleep. Some passengers claimed relatives identified themselves as doctors to reassure staff, though this could not be independently verified.
The flight, scheduled to depart at 11:15 am, began taxiing towards the runway. However, moments before takeoff, cabin crew realised the passenger had died and the aircraft returned to the stand.
Tracy-Ann Kitching, a passenger, wrote on social media: “I saw her being wheeled onto the plane; someone was holding her head as they passed me. A doctor on board confirmed she was already dead when they sat her down.”
Another passenger, Petra Boddington, questioned the airline’s procedures, saying: “What were (the) ground staff thinking today? They asked the family five times if the woman was OK… she was clearly not ok. To the naked eye she looked like she was already dead, slumped unconscious in a wheelchair.”
Airline denies passenger was dead at boarding
EasyJet denied that a deceased person was allowed to board. A spokesperson for the airline said the passenger had a certificate of fitness to fly and was alive when she boarded the plane.
“Flight EZY8070 from Malaga to London Gatwick returned to stand prior to departure due to a customer onboard requiring urgent medical assistance,” the airline said. “The flight was met by emergency services however the customer sadly passed away.”
The Civil Guard in Malaga confirmed its officers attended the aircraft. A spokesperson said: “She was pronounced dead on the aircraft which had been due to leave Malaga for London just after 11 am yesterday morning.”
The incident caused a 12-hour delay. The flight eventually departed at 10:47 pm, arriving at Gatwick around midnight. EasyJet provided food and drink vouchers to affected passengers.
No arrests have been made among family members. Spanish authorities have not announced any investigation into the circumstances.
Repatriation complex and expensive
The international transport of deceased persons is a complex process that requires multiple official documents, death certificates, health authorisations and mandatory embalming in many cases.
According to UK funeral industry sources, costs for air transport of remains typically range between £3,000 (€3,500) and £6,000 (€7,000).
The transfer of mortal remains between countries must be carried out in specialist coffins and is usually conducted on cargo flights rather than commercial passenger flights.
Commercial airlines rarely allow transporting bodies in the passenger cabin and, when they do, require extensive documentation and compliance with strict sanitary protocols.