London: A tragic medical emergency unfolded on British Airways Flight BA32 on Sunday, March 22, 2026, when a woman in her 60s passed away shortly after the aircraft departed Hong Kong for London. The death occurred approximately one hour into the long-haul journey, leaving the passengers and crew to spend over 13 hours on board with the deceased.
Following the mid-air death, the pilots of the Airbus A350-1000 decided to proceed to London Heathrow rather than returning to Hong Kong or diverting, as a passenger death is typically not classified as a flight emergency. According to reports, a suggestion to place the body in a lavatory was rejected by the crew. Instead, the body was wrapped and moved to a rear galley.
However, the crew reportedly overlooked that the galley featured a heated floor, which caused a pungent smell to develop and spread through the rear of the cabin during the final hours of the flight. Upon landing at Heathrow, police boarded the aircraft and required all passengers to remain in their seats for approximately 45 minutes while an initial investigation was conducted. British Airways has expressed its condolences to the family and stated that all procedures were correctly followed during the unfortunate incident.
