In a scene more reminiscent of a macabre thriller than a budget holiday flight, passengers on a recent EasyJet service were left horrified after witnessing what they believed to be a corpse being wheeled onto their aircraft. The flight, departing from Málaga, Spain, and heading to Gatwick, has become the subject of intense international scrutiny following claims that an elderly woman was already deceased before she reached her seat.
While air travel often involves medical emergencies, the specifics of this incident have triggered a wave of disbelief across social media, as witnesses describe a family allegedly attempting to pass off a non-responsive relative as merely exhausted to avoid the logistical hurdles of transporting human remains.
Viral Claims of a Mid-Air Macabre Deception
The controversy gained significant momentum after a passenger took to TikTok to recount the experience. In a video that has since garnered thousands of views, @menopausewithpetra and other passengers were convinced that the old lady wheeled by her family aboard the plane was dead before they took off.
'Easyjet, when did you start letting dead people onto planes?' Petra Boddington asked. According to her, the ground staff 'allowed someone that looked completely dead' to board the flight and 'funnily enough, just as we were about to take off, they died.'
The flight was cancelled, and everyone was pulled off the plane. Petra called out the airline, saying, 'They wouldn't let you on if you were drunk, but apparently it's OK if you're dead...' because the old woman reportedly 'looked like she was dead in a chair' when her family wheeled her inside the aircraft.
Boddington also spoke with The Sun about the incident, and she was adamant that the 89-year-old was not fit to fly. She claimed that those with her were 'holding her head up.' Another passenger, Tracy-Ann Kitching, took to Facebook to question the airline. 'easyJet – you are unbelievable! Why did you let a dead person on our flight?!' she wrote.
@menopausewithpetra Easyjet! What were your ground staff thinking today? They asked the family five times if this woman was ok… she was clearly not ok! To the naked eye she looked like she was already dead, slumped unconscious in a wheelchair, so why would she be allowed on to the flight and then disrupt everyone’s plans… purely to save the family repatriation?!? If I was drunk they wouldn’t let me on.. but apparently dead is ok?! EasyJet what’s going on? Disgusting and prepare yourselves for the refunds and complaints coming! Flight now rescheduled from 11:15 to 21:30? How does that work for everyone involved?
♬ original sound - menopausewithpetra
Allegations Of A Family Covering Up A Death
Several other passengers who spoke with Daily Mail shared the same account. One told the outlet that the grandmother was accompanied by five family members. The group was reportedly only allowed to board after they told the clerk she was sick and 'just tired.'
Another passenger overheard one member of the group assuring the clerk It's OK, we're doctors.' However, when the plane started taxiing on the runway, they were stopped by a cabin crew member who realised the passenger was dead.
Elizabeth Rowland, 19, who was flying with her partner to visit a family, also noticed the old lady and her family at the gate. She was seated just three rows in front of them on the plane. According to her, the old woman was wearing a neck brace with a neck pillow, and the sight convinced her that she 'wasn't with us.' However, her family allegedly tried to make it appear that their companion was still alive.
'Her family were trying to wake her up and saying, "Can you hear me? We're going to get on the flight now, we're going to board now", and trying to give her something to drink...' Rowland told Daily Mail. 'They were talking to her and acting as if she was alive.'
When the plane had to turn back to the terminal, Rowland noticed that none of the family members were shocked, upset, or in tears that their old companion was dead. Instead, they were allegedly 'completely calm and talking to the paramedics.'
EasyJet Cites 'Fit to Fly' Certificate
Despite the mounting accusations from passengers who believe they spent hours in a cabin with a corpse, the airline has defended its crew's actions. An EasyJet spokesperson confirmed that the passenger in question had a valid 'fit to fly' medical certificate upon arrival at the gate.
The airline maintains that the woman's condition deteriorated during the flight, and she was still alive when they boarded the flight, despite the other passengers' allegations. The co-pilot, however, told passengers that he would write a report considering their accounts.
The incident has sparked a broader debate regarding the stringency of medical checks at airport gates. If the claims are proven true, the family could face legal repercussions for the unauthorised transport of a body across international borders. Authorities are expected to investigate further to determine exactly when the woman passed away.
