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Passengers on a long-haul British Airways flight complained of a “foul smell” after the body of a deceased woman was kept near a heated gallery for over 10 hours.
The flight, travelling from Hong Kong to Heathrow, was about an hour into travel when a woman in her 60s died suddenly.
After the decision was made to continue the journey to London, flight crew worked to “isolate” the body of the deceased passenger, wrapping it in materials and moving it to the galley at the rear of the aircraft.
However, some of the 331 passengers on board later reported a “foul smell” emanating by the time they touched down in London – over 13 hours later.
Speaking to the Sun, a source suggested underfloor heating may have been a contributing factor to the odour.
“The galley had a heated floor, which some crew had overlooked, and towards the end of the flight there were claims that a foul smell was present in that region.”
They added that the family travelling with the deceased were “distraught”, as were the crew.
Cockpit staff had alternatively suggested the woman's body be stored inside a lavatory, but cabin crew rejected the proposal.
Police met the Airbus A350-1000 on arrival in London, and passengers were asked to remain seated for around 45minutes whilst they investigated.
British Airways previously stated that “all procedures were correctly followed”, and praised their crew for their actions.
BA spokesman said: “A customer sadly passed away on board and our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time.
“We are supporting our crew and all procedures were correctly followed.”
All crew have been offered support by BA, with some reportedly taking time off work citing trauma.
Guidelines outlined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) advise a deceased person be placed in a body bag and kept to their own or an empty seat.
LBC has approached BA for comment.