Dubai: An elderly person, who was reported to be ill before boarding, is believed to have died on an Emirates Boeing 777 passenger plane in flight from Dubai bound for Manchester early Monday.
Manchester paramedics were called to meet the plane after 7:30am at Manchester Airport but the passenger — who has not been identified — had already passed away.
Emirates said in a statement released to media on Monday that the traveller died in flight on the busy 7-hour Dubai-Manchester route, a popular mainstay for UK travellers between the two countries.
The plane took off from Dubai International Airport at 3:18am Gulf Standard Time.
“Emirates can confirm that a passenger on board today’s Emirates flight EK 21 from Dubai to Manchester passed away during the flight. Emirates expresses its condolences to the family,” said an airline spokesperson.
After investigation by police, Manchester Airport officials confirmed that a “passenger sadly passed away on an inbound flight this morning. Anyone with specific enquiries should contact the airline directly.”
Manchester Police, who responded to the report of the dead passenger before 8am, said there were no suspicious circumstances linked to the death.
In an unrelated incident in early April, a man died of a heart attack aboard a Qantas flight from Melbourne bound for Dubai despite efforts to revive him during the flight.
The Australian carrier diverted the flight to Muscat, Oman, but despite the measures the man died, Qantas said.
