A plane flew for 13 hours with a woman's dead body.

A tragic incident has been reported where a woman, approximately sixty years old, died inside a British Airways passenger plane flying from Hong Kong to London. The death occurred about an hour after the plane took off, and subsequently, the crew had to continue flying to the destination with her body remaining inside the aircraft for another thirteen hours.

The crew took steps to wrap the deceased woman's body in a blanket and place it in the rear section of the aircraft, where food and beverages are prepared and equipment is stored. Initially, there was an intention to place the body in the lavatory, but it was later moved to this rear section. However, due to the floor in that area being somewhat warm, the body gradually began to emit a foul odor, causing significant discomfort to passengers seated in the rear of the plane.

Even if a passenger dies during a flight, according to international aviation regulations, it is not always considered an emergency on an aircraft. Therefore, the pilot decided to fly directly to London without making an unscheduled landing. After the plane landed in London, the police immediately responded, boarded the aircraft, and conducted investigations. During the approximately 45 minutes this took, other passengers had to remain in their seats. British Airways announced that all relevant procedures were followed correctly in this incident and expressed their condolences to the family of the deceased woman.

According to the guidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), if a passenger falls ill during a flight, the crew makes every effort to provide first aid and medical facilities. However, if a death occurs, it is standard practice to cover the body and place it in an empty seat or in the rear section of the aircraft. In the event of a death due to natural causes, such as a heart attack, the airline does not pay compensation; compensation is only awarded if negligence or delay on the part of the crew is proven. According to aviation authority regulations, an emergency on an aircraft is considered to be situations that pose a direct threat to the aircraft and the lives of passengers, such as a fire, engine failure, loss of cabin pressure, or a severe medical emergency.