A passenger on the London-bound flight where a family was accused of escorting a dead relative on board has spoken out about what happened.
On Friday (19 December), it emerged that a British family had been accused of wheeling an 89-year-old grandmother onto an easyJet flight from Málaga to London Gatwick after she'd died.
Shortly before take-off, the flight stopped abruptly after a member of the cabin crew realised she'd passed away, leading to major delays for the remaining passengers.
The relatives had claimed the woman was alive but unwell and sleeping when questioned by airline staff during boarding – an account which airline easyJet has backed, saying the woman had a fit to fly certificate and was alive when she boarded the flight.
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She later died after boarding, with take-off ultimately being aborted. Her death was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Málaga Civil Guard, who gave her cause of death as cardiac arrest.
A passenger who witnessed the incident speaks out
Petra Boddington was seated close to the grandmother and has now spoken out about the incident, revealing that passengers had been concerned for the elderly woman's welfare after she was brought on board.
"She was a fragile, old lady who was curled up and doubled over in a chair in a not very comfortable position," Petra Boddington recalled in an interview with The Sun.
"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."
'She looked dead'
Boddington went on to explain that she wasn't the only person concerned about the woman's welfare, adding that 'we all thought that she looked dead'.
The expat, who runs exercise and rehabilitation company Menopause With Petra, then explained how the flight abruptly turned about before its scheduled 11.15am departure time, with the captain announcing there had been a 'medical emergency' on board.
"Everybody turned to each other and said, 'well we know why?'," she said of the moment. "Then we were all taken off the plane and back at the gates."
Emergency crews were brought on board to check on the woman while the remaining passengers were escorted back into the terminal, where it would be a further 12 hours before they left the Spanish city.
"I honestly feel sorry for the woman," Boddington added. "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."
What has easyJet said about the incident?
In a statement provided to LADbible, a spokesperson for the airline stated the woman was alive when boarding the plane and was in possession of a ‘fit to fly’ certificate.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the customer who sadly passed away and we are offering support and assistance at this difficult time," the airline statement read.
"She was permitted to fly because she had a medical ‘fit to fly’ certificate and was being supported by medical personnel during her journey. It was only after boarding the customer then required medical assistance and she sadly passed away.
"The wellbeing of our passengers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority and we would ask customers for their understanding in these circumstances."
Brenna Cooper