A British Airways flight attendant tragically passed away after collapsing in front of passengers just before the plane was set to take off from London. The incident occurred on New Year’s Eve as the flight prepared to depart from Heathrow Airport to Hong Kong. The 52-year-old crew member collapsed in the rear of the aircraft after the plane’s doors had been locked, and passengers were already seated.
According to The Sun, a passenger with first aid training attempted to assist the man while the pilot urgently called for medical assistance. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the crew and the passenger, the flight attendant succumbed to the situation. The flight was subsequently canceled due to the unfolding “medical emergency.”
The London Ambulance Service commented to Metro UK, stating, “Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crew, a patient was pronounced dead at the scene.” The identity of the deceased flight attendant has not been disclosed.
No additional information was provided about the deceased crew member, but The Sun reported that he had no known underlying health issues. The flight faced a delay and eventually departed the following day with a different set of pilots and crew taking charge.
“Our thoughts are with our colleagues’ family and friends at this difficult time,” British Airways conveyed to the outlet.
According to Fox News, this marks the second recent incident of a British Airways flight attendant passing away. Another crew member, also 52 years old, was discovered deceased in his hotel room on December 23, in between flights from Newark to London, leading to the cancellation of the scheduled flight.
“Crew are frantic. These were two healthy people who suddenly dropped dead. There were no reported underlying health issues,” a source shared with The Sun regarding the tragic deaths.
“The crew were family men, leaving devastated families in shock and disbelief. It has been a traumatic festive period for BA’s flying team. Everyone is deeply upset,” they added.