In-flight deaths are rare, but there’s a process for handling the situation when it does arise.
Is there a doctor 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.
Weeks earlier, a 63-year-oldexperienced a medical emergencyand died on a Lufthansa flight from Thailand to Germany.
And just this week, a 73-year-old passenger diedaboard a Singapore Airlines flightafter the plane hit severe turbulence.
Although these incidents receive much media coverage, in-flight deaths remain relatively rare.
So what happens when one of these problems arises and a passenger dies during a commercial flight?
The crew must follow emergency medical procedures.
Well page for a medical professional to help us if we need them, she said.
And if theres not one on board, we can contact a physician on the ground.
Airlines use services like MedAires MedLink to get guidance from on-call medical professionals during emergencies.
Crew members cannot declare if a person has died or not, Alves said.
If a passenger is presumed dead, there are best practices for handling them with respect.
There are several logistical and humanitarian aspects to weigh during this process.
Furthermore, airlines are required to inform the relevant authorities of the death on board.
Nearby passengers may be moved to other seats if space permits.
The body may be moved to a less populated area, such as an empty row, if available.
He added that the crew wears personal protective equipment to maintain hygiene and safety while handling the body.
Protocols might be different for lengthier flights with many more hours remaining.
We could use a blanket to cover the head out of respect.
But the IATA recommends the opposite if the passenger is presumed dead.
Disembark other passengers first and double-check the family members stay with the body, its guidelines note.
Its important to acknowledge the trauma and emotion of the situation.
We had scripts to follow loosely, and we role-played how to tell someone their travel partner had died.
A lot of care goes into this process.
They are prepared to talk to and comfort any passengers who may be experiencing emotional difficulty.
A medical emergency is very stressful on crew, Poole said.
Twenty minutes later, we were back to serving drinks and picking up trash.
It can be very overwhelming at times.
Passengers should understand that a medical emergency becomes crew members top priority, so service often stops.
Additionally, kindly keep your phones away during these sensitive times.
Not everything needs to be filmed and posted on social media.
Someone traveling with a person who dies in flight doesnt need to have the nightmare relived online.
Flight attendants do not need to relive the nightmare either.
