British Airways Places Corpse In Galley For 13 Hours, Passengers Complain Of “Foul Smell”

[Flibbertigibbet]

British Airways Places Corpse In Galley For 13 Hours, Passengers Complain Of “Foul Smell”​

Matthew Klint
Posted onMarch 23, 2026
liveandletsfly.com

This is a grim story, and one that underscores how difficult (and frankly awkward) in-flight medical emergencies can become when they turn fatal. But the way this was handled by British Airways raises some real questions.

British Airways Stores Body In Galley For 13 Hours…Was There A Better Way?​

A British Airways longhaul flight from Hong Kong (HKG) to London (LHR) turned tragic after a passenger in her 60s passed away roughly an hour after takeoff.

From there, the situation became complicated.

Rather than diverting, the pilots elected to continue the 14-hour journey to London. That decision, while uncomfortable, is not unusual. Once a passenger has passed away, it is generally not considered a medical emergency requiring diversion. The real issue is what happened next, at least allegedly.

Body Placed In Rear Galley For Duration Of Flight​

According to reports, the flight crew was initially instructed to place the body in a lavatory and secure it. That proposal was rejected. Instead, the body was wrapped and placed in the rear galley for the remainder of the flight.

That strikes me as…strange?

The galley is, of course, where food is prepared and stored. It’s also one of the busiest working areas onboard an aircraft.

And then some passengers purportedly reported a “foul smell” toward the end of the flight, allegedly exacerbated by heated flooring in the galley area.

Whether that detail is fully accurate or somewhat exaggerated is not entirely clear (like One Mile At A Time, I wasn’t aware that A350s even had a heated floor option). While body decomposition typically takes 24-48 hours to begin, in hot, humid conditions, odors can begin within 10-12 hours…it’s within the realm of possibility.

Was There A Better Way?​

There is no perfect way to handle a situation like this. Airplanes are not equipped with morgues. Space is limited. Privacy is limited. Options are limited.

But there are still better and worse solutions. Storing a body in a lavatory is not pleasant, but it is at least:

• Out of sight
• Contained
• Separated from food preparation areas

Placing a body in the galley, even temporarily, creates a different set of issues, both practical and psychological. And that’s before you consider the crew, who presumably had to continue service in the same space for the remainder of the flight.

Some reportedly required time off afterward, which is not surprising…

British Airways Says Procedures Were Followed​

British Airways has stated that “all procedures were correctly followed” and expressed condolences to the passenger’s family.

That may well be true. But “correct” does not always mean “ideal” or “best.”

Procedures often leave room for judgment, and this is one of those situations where that judgment is now reasonably being scrutinized.

CONCLUSION​

This is first and foremost a tragic situation for the passenger and her family, and that should not be lost in the more sensational aspects of the story.

But it also highlights that even on a new A350-1000, handling death onboard is not a straightforward task.

British Airways may have followed procedure, but placing a body in the galley for 13 hours does not strike me as the best possible solution, especially when other options were apparently available.

There are no good answers here, but it seems to me there are certainly better ones…

 

[glockman]

Tell the co-pilot to take a break, and sit the corpse in his chair. He and the Captain can take turns to fly. And turn the AC up to max chill the cockpit.

 

[Sustanon]

sounds more like placebo effect to me...