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Flight attendants reveal what happens if someone dies mid-flight

Cabin crew workers have explained that it's not uncommon for a passenger to pass away while on board and what they do next depends on each situation as it happens

[A female flight attendant clothed an elderly passenger sleeping in the passenger seat. Stewardess taking care of the passenger. Cabin crew gives service to a passenger in an airplane.]

If a passenger cannot be revived flight attendants sometimes keep them in their seat(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

First aid training experts ave explained what happens when someone dies on board a flight - with others explaining the situation can be different depending on how they die and the length of the flight.

When flying on a plane there are all sorts of things that can happen you might spot another passenger getting unruly, see a flight attendant handing out freebies or hear the cabin crews secret codes. However, one of the scariest and most upsetting sights is when someone dies during your journey.

While its unusual to spot, with thousands of flights happening every single day people passing away on a flight isnt unheard of. At 35,000ft theres not much the crew can do except to try and keep fellow passengers unaware of the tragedy.

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Dr. Arnold Seid, medical director of Global Rescue, previously told CN Traveller: "There is no mandate to alter the flight path in the event of a death in flight. The pilot must follow certain notification regulations, depending on the country and jurisdiction of the destination airport, as well as company protocol."

[Flight attendant]

Flight attendants are trained to take charge of the situation and remain calm(Image: Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Sheen Marie, a flight attendant on TikTok, explained what happens when someone dies mid-flight from the point of view of the crew. She said: "If they have a heart attack and die, and there is nothing we can do about it, and we can't start CPR, we are just going to wait until we get to our final destination. We are going to keep that dead body where it is at."

However, another crew member explained that this isn't always the case and if it's clear that someone is having a medical emergency then they will step in to try and help. She said: "Keep in mind that most of the time, the people who die don't just drop dead in their seats. They collapse, we give them CPR, there's a doctor call, if it's serious enough we usually are already on our way rerouting to another airport and most of the passengers are aware that there's a medical emergency on board.

"We are in constant communication with a doctor from the emergency services via the cockpit and he will be the one giving us instructions on when to stop CPR if he/she deems in necessary. Otherwise we are instructed never to stop CPR (and other medical care) unless explicitly told so by a doctor or until we land anywhere and a medical team takes over."

[First-aid kit designed as a suitcase with passports, plane tickets and clothes inside, stethoscope and globe standing on world map. Medical tourism concept.]

All passenger planes come equipped with a first aid kit and medical bag(Image: Getty Images)

However, if somebody does die and cannot be helped, a long haul flight attendant said there are processes involved in storage. They explained: "We have a body bag, in our medical kit, and if possible we will wrap the body inside but always leave it open around the head, as it can only be closed by a doctor on duty (meaning not even a passenger that happens to be a doctor)."

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