Passenger dies on Sharjah-bound Air India flight

Dubai: A Sharjah-bound Air India flight had to turn back to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala of India on Tuesday night after a passenger died mid-flight, an official confirmed.

Air India Flight AI967 departed from Thiruvananthapuram at 8.24pm (India time) and was due to arrive in Sharjah but had to make an emergency landing when one of the passengers fell sick and passed away.

“The Sharjah-bound flight returned due to a medical emergency. The patient was down on board,” Dhananjay Kumar, Air India spokesperson, told Gulf News from India.

Kumar clarified that the remains of the male passenger was handed over to airport personnel upon landing.

Kumar said authorities have yet to disclose the passenger’s cause of death.

The aircraft was cleared for departure after formalities were completed on Tuesday night.