A London-bound easyJet flight was delayed more than 11 hours Thursday after an elderly passenger died shortly after boarding, triggering confusion, distress, and sharp questions from fellow travelers.
The incident occurred on flight EZY8070 from Malaga, Spain, to London Gatwick. According to Spanish authorities, an 89-year-old British woman died just after 11 a.m. on Dec. 18 after requiring medical assistance onboard the aircraft.
A spokesperson for the Malaga Civil Guard confirmed officers responded to the death, which occurred before the plane ever left the ground. Witnesses said the Airbus A319 had already begun taxiing toward the runway when cabin crew were alerted and turned the plane back to the gate.
Several passengers later claimed on social media that the woman appeared gravely ill — or even deceased — before boarding. Some alleged she was wheeled onto the plane already unresponsive, prompting outrage over how she was cleared to fly.
Passenger Petra Boddington told The Sun that the woman’s condition appeared alarming from the start.
“Anybody with eyes could see that she was not fit to fly,” Boddington said. “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.”
easyJet pushed back on those claims, stating that the woman required medical assistance only after boarding. In a statement, the airline said she was traveling with two medical professionals and had been issued a valid “fit to fly” certificate prior to departure.
“It was only after boarding that the customer then required medical assistance and she sadly passed away,” an easyJet spokesperson said. “The wellbeing of our passengers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority, and we ask for customers’ understanding in these circumstances.”
The flight had been scheduled to depart Malaga Airport at 11:15 a.m. Instead, it remained grounded for most of the day, finally taking off at 10:30 p.m. — 11 hours and 15 minutes behind schedule.
The incident left passengers shaken and reignited debate over airline medical clearances, particularly for elderly or vulnerable travelers. While easyJet maintains that all procedures were followed, the grim delay underscored how quickly routine travel can turn tragic — leaving dozens of passengers stranded and one family grieving far from home.
