Passengers claim family carried dead woman onto easyJet flight to London

An easyJet flight from Malaga, Spain, to London was thrown into chaos after passengers claimed that the relatives of an 89-year-old British woman brought her onto the aircraft in a wheelchair already deceased.

According to witness accounts, five family members accompanied the elderly woman onto the plane, telling ground staff that she was merely tired or feeling unwell.

The cabin crew reportedly realised the woman had died shortly before take-off, causing the aircraft to return to its parking position and delaying the flight by nearly 12 hours.

‘She is just tired,’ family allegedly told staff

According to The Daily Mail, passengers reported that the woman’s body was taken by wheelchair to the rear seats of the aircraft and placed into her seat with the help of her relatives.

Some passengers claimed that when a boarding official expressed doubts about her health, the family responded that she was “just tired.” One witness also claimed to have heard someone say: “She’s fine, we are doctors.”

The aircraft had already started taxiing when the crew halted the take-off procedure. Paramedics and police boarded the plane, and Spanish authorities confirmed the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Spanish Civil Guard confirmed they were called to Malaga Airport for the incident, clarifying that the death was confirmed just before the scheduled departure time.

Many passengers expressed outrage over the handling of the situation, citing a lack of proper checks before the flight. Others noted that the woman’s family appeared composed during the intervention by paramedics, which raised further questions.

The flight was eventually delayed by 12 hours, with the departure finally taking place late that night.

EasyJet disputed the claims that the woman had boarded the flight deceased, stating that she had a “fit to fly” certificate and was alive upon boarding.

In a statement, the airline said the flight returned to the gate before take-off due to a medical emergency and that “the passenger, unfortunately, passed away.”

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends. The safety and well-being of passengers and crew are always our highest priority,” the company stated.

The incident brought to the forefront the complex and costly procedures for transporting human remains between countries.

According to specialised companies, repatriation from Spain to the United Kingdom can cost between £3,500 and £4,500, requiring a death certificate, involvement of authorities, and specialised transport, usually via cargo and not passenger flights.

The investigation into the exact circumstances of the incident is ongoing, and it is not yet known whether charges will be filed.