Although the exact protocols vary from airline to airline, most follow some general guidelines in the event of a death on board.Those who fly frequently may have heard this question asked at some point on a plane. In-flight medical incidents can range from minor to serious, and sometimes the outcome is fatal.died after falling ill on an American Airlines flight from the Dominican Republic to North Carolina.
Although the exact protocols vary from airline to airline, flight crews are typically trained to provide basic life support, notify the pilots and seek assistance from medical professionals. “A death on board does not automatically entail a diversion to another airport,” said Markus Ruediger, the assistant director of corporate communications at IATA. “Diversion to a third country ― neither origin nor destination of the flight ― could add further complexities in repatriating the deceased. Furthermore, airlines are required to inform the relevant authorities of the death on board.
“If the pilots decided to continue to our destination, we would have to prepare the body for storage,” he recalled. “This involved moving the deceased to a private area where the body could be stored flat for the remainder of the journey without other passengers noticing and without obstructing an exit. It was essential to keep the body flat, as postmortem stiffening of muscles would start about two hours after death and the flights could still have a long way to go.
When a plane makes an emergency landing due to a medical situation, passengers are advised to remain seated until health professionals board and remove the affected individuals. But the IATA recommends the opposite if the passenger is presumed dead.“Disembark other passengers first and make sure the family members stay with the body,” its guidelines note.