British Airways passenger’s body stored in heated galley: reports

Air travelers are reacting with shock after the body of a dead passenger was allegedly stored in a heated galley for more than 13 hours on a long-haul flight, according to reports.

A woman in her 60s died about an hour after British Airways Flight BA32 took off from Hong Kong to London last Sunday, but the pilots continued on to Heathrow Airport instead of turning around, the Sun reported.

A source told the outlet that the kitchen of the Airbus A350-1000 was equipped with a heated floor and that at the end of the flight, “there were rumors that a foul odor was present” in that area.

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A British Airways Airbus A391-131 lands at Heathrow Airport, west London, on April 29, 2024. (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

“Obviously the family and the wife were upset, as was the crew,” the source said. “Many wanted to return to Hong Kong. But, frankly, if a passenger has already died, it is not considered an emergency.”

British Airways told Fox News Digital that its crew followed all procedures.

“A customer has sadly passed away on board and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time,” the airline said. “We support our crew and all procedures were followed correctly.”

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Travelers pass through a terminal at Heathrow Airport. (Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images)

A source told The Sun that a discussion took place over what to do with the body, with the crew rejecting a request from the cockpit to lock it in the plane’s toilet.

“So they had to insulate the body, wrap it in materials and move it to a galley at the back of the plane,” the source explained, adding that the area was equipped with underfloor heating.

British Airways Boeing 777 taxiing for takeoff, surrounded by other planes on the runway. (iStock)

The outlet said that once the plane landed last Sunday, police asked all 331 passengers on board to remain seated in their seats for about 45 minutes while they investigated the death on board.

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British Airways has not received a formal complaint about the incident, but The Sun reported that some passengers had taken time off work to recover from the ordeal.