A former Virgin Atlantic flight attendant has described the experience of dealing with a passenger death as 'horrific', following a controversial incident on an easyJet flight where a British grandmother allegedly died before boarding. Skye Taylor, who served 16 years with the airline, stated that such incidents occur more frequently than the public realises.
Speaking to the Mirror, Taylor recalled: 'I have witnessed it myself which isn’t very nice with somebody passing away on board. There is probably not one person in aviation who hasn’t witnessed that.' She explained that cabin crew are trained to follow strict procedures, including discreetly moving the body and maintaining dignity for the deceased.
Taylor noted that if a death occurs mid-flight, pilots typically continue to the destination rather than diverting, as turning an aircraft around costs 'millions' and is often pointless. She emphasised the importance of ground staff alerting crew to any suspicions before take-off, as little can be done at 35,000 feet.
The easyJet incident involved an 89-year-old woman who, according to passengers, was already dead when wheeled onto the Malaga to Gatwick flight. easyJet denies this, insisting she was alive at boarding. The plane returned to the runway after take-off, causing a 12-hour delay. A Malaga Civil Guard spokesman confirmed the woman was pronounced dead on the aircraft.
