Other passengers on the flight were concerned about the woman’s condition as she was seen with people apparently ‘holding up her head’ after she was placed into her seat
19:38, 21 Dec 2025Updated 20:14, 21 Dec 2025
The incident happened on an easyJet flight(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A passenger on an easyJet flight where an unresponsive woman was brought on board before being declared dead just before take-off has revealed how carers had to hold her head up.
Passengers on the plane had been left surprised when the elderly woman was brought onto the plane in a wheelchair, despite appearing to be unresponsive. The flight had been due to travel from Malaga to Gatwick, but ended up being halted as it was taxiing after shocked members of the crew realised that the woman had died.
Petra Boddington was one of the passengers on the flight, and had been sitting close to the unfortunate British grandmother. She said that her fellow passengers had become concerned for the woman’s welfare, including that she had been slumped over in her seat.
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Petra Boddington recalled the bizarre incident on the flight(Image: Petra Boddington/Facebook)
Now Petra has opened up about the incident to The Sun. The Brit expat she noticed the “fragile, old lady” in the airport. She said that the woman was pushed along on the plane by a member of ground staff, with those already in their seats able to take a look as she was wheeled past.
She said: “People turned in their seats and went, ‘oh my god, she looks dead’. She was a fragile, old lady who 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 and it wasn’t just me that thought it, it was everybody else that she went past. People sat in front of me even said they’d seen the people that were with her holding her head up. We all thought that she looked dead.”
The flight was due to depart from Málaga to Gatwick(Image: Getty Images)
The woman had been flanked by carers on the flight, and was put in a special assistance seat that was located at the end of a row. As the plane prepared for its departure at 11.15am crew ran their usual pre-flight checks.
But when they went to check on the elderly passenger, they raised a concern that she had died in her seat. As a result the journey was immediately delayed, and emergency workers boarded the plane to check on the passenger.
Tragically, she was pronounced dead on the plane itself. However, it is not clear at the moment when precisely she had died, and if this was on the flight or before she boarded. EasyJet previously claimed that the passenger had a fit to fly certificate prior to the journey.
Petra Boddington was on the flight(Image: Petra Boddington/Facebook)
Petra said: “As soon as the plane turned around and the captain announced there had been a medical emergency, everybody turned to each other and said, ‘well we know why?’ Then we were all taken off the plane and back at the gates. That’s when everyone started complaining and asked how she was allowed on.”
She added: “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.”
Another passenger, Tracy-Ann Kitching, shared her experience on social media, sharing her outrage at the budget airline. She wrote: “easyJet – you are unbelievable! Why did you let a dead person on our flight?! Special assitance [the service that helps board passengers with a disability or reduced mobility] are responsible too; they should have raised the issue… I saw her wheeled onto the plane; someone was holding her head as they went past me!”
Some passengers were delayed by over 12 hours following the incident. It’s not clear at present what happened to the elderly passenger and her companions after the flight, though a spokesperson for the Civil Guard in Málaga confirmed they were called to the flight to attend to an elderly British woman.
Irate passengers are said to have quizzed staff about the incident and what happened prior to boarding, with staff reportedly saying they were assured by the woman’s carers she was ‘just tired’ and ‘unwell’. EasyJet have insisted the allegations are unfounded and that the woman was alive when she boarded the plane. The flight’s co-pilot told passengers he would write a report on the incident using their testimonies.