Weekend at Bernardos! British family accused of wheeling dead grandmother onto Málaga flight
Passengers say the 89-year-old appeared unresponsive as she was wheeled and seated, prompting a return to the stand and a 12-hour flight delay
A Málaga to London Gatwick flight over the weekend made headlines after a British family was accused of boarding with their 89-year-old grandmother, reportedly telling crew she was “tired,” according to UK media.
Passengers said five family members wheeled the woman onto the plane in a wheelchair and helped her into a seat at the back of the cabin. She appeared slumped and unresponsive, with a family member supporting her head as she was moved. The crew at the gate reportedly questioned the family multiple times but were reassured she was fine.
Just before take-off, the cabin crew then realised she had passed away. The plane returned to the stand, Spanish emergency services were called, and the flight was delayed by nearly 12 hours. The flight finally left Málaga late at night. EasyJet defended its staff, saying she had a “fit-to-fly” certificate and was alive when boarding.
Passengers described the scene as surreal, taking to social media to write and post about it.
Transporting human remains internationally can be difficult and complicated, usually requiring cargo flights, official certificates, and specialist caskets. Attempting to move a deceased person as a regular passenger is both risky and against the law but no charges have been reported in this case so far.
EasyJet’s official report said the flight returned to the stand because a passenger required urgent medical assistance, and that she was alive when boarding with a fit-to-fly certificate.
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