Shocked passengers on an easyJet flight have described the horrifying moment an elderly British woman, who appeared unresponsive, was wheeled onto the aircraft before being declared dead just before take-off.
‘Oh my god, she looks dead’
The incident occurred on 21 December 2025 on an easyJet flight scheduled to depart from Málaga, Spain, to London Gatwick at 11.15am. Passenger Petra Boddington, a British expat, told The Sun she first saw the "fragile, old lady" curled up in a wheelchair at the airport.
She described how the woman was pushed onto the plane by ground staff, with fellow passengers turning in their seats as she passed. "People turned in their seats and went, ‘oh my god, she looks dead’," Boddington recalled. "She was curled up and doubled over in a chair in a not very comfortable position. Anybody with eyes could see that she was not fit to fly."
Other travellers reported seeing the woman's companions, believed to be carers, apparently holding her head up as she was moved to a special assistance seat at the end of a row.
Medical emergency halts taxiing plane
As the plane prepared for departure and crew conducted routine checks, they became concerned about the elderly passenger's condition. The flight was halted while taxiing after crew members suspected the woman had died in her seat.
Emergency services boarded the aircraft, and the woman was tragically pronounced dead on the plane. It remains unclear precisely when she passed away. EasyJet has stated the passenger had a fit-to-fly certificate prior to boarding and insisted she was alive when she boarded.
However, passengers have contradicted this, reporting that airline staff later told them the woman's carers had assured them she was ‘just tired’ and ‘unwell’.
Passenger outrage and delays
After the captain announced a medical emergency, Petra Boddington said everyone immediately knew the reason. "Everybody turned to each other and said, ‘well we know why?’" she stated. Passengers were disembarked and returned to the gate, where many complained about how the situation was handled.
Another passenger, Tracy-Ann Kitching, expressed her outrage on social media, directly addressing the budget airline: "easyJet - you are unbelievable! Why did you let a dead person on our flight?!"
The incident caused significant disruption, with some travellers facing delays of over 12 hours. A spokesperson for the Civil Guard in Málaga confirmed they were called to the flight to attend to an elderly British woman.
Boddington concluded, "I honestly feel sorry for the woman. She should have never have been allowed on that plane. I think it’s disgusting that she was allowed on but ultimately, the poor woman has lost her life." The flight's co-pilot reportedly told passengers he would compile a report using their testimonies.
