EasyJet has said its crews did "everything possible" to help a passenger before they died in the air aboard a flight to Lanzarote.
The passenger, who has not been identified, passed away on flight EJU6775 shortly after it left Nantes Loire Atlantique airport in France on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed in a statement that medically trained staff had tried to assist the passenger before they died.
They explained that flight crews on-board the plane "did everything possible", but despite their best efforts, the passenger tragically died. The captain is said to have deployed a distress signal before "performing a routine landing in accordance with standard procedures."
The passengers cause of death hasn't been released at this time. The spokesperson told French publication Le Parisien: "Our crews are trained to respond to medical procedures and did everything possible during the flight. Our thoughts are with the passenger's family and friends and we extend our full support and assistance to them during this difficult time. The well-being and safety of our passengers and crew is always easyJet's top priority."
Easyjet told The Mirror: "EasyJet can confirm that flight EJU4775 from Nantes to Lanzarote on 16 September requested an expedited landing due to a passenger on board requiring urgent medical assistance. Our cabin crew provided first aid, and the flight was met by emergency services."
According to local outlets, the death and emergency landing caused major delays, with the return flight to France having reportedly been affected. The incident comes after a heartbroken dad issued a warning to holidaymakers following his son's shock death aboard a flight to Bulgaria. Chris Neill, 40, was travelling with his sons Reece, 20, and Archie, nine, from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Burgas on Monday, September 16, 2024, when he fell ill.
The flight made an emergency landing in Cologne, Germany, where it is believed Chris suffered a cardiac arrest after collapsing as he left the plane. Rachel-Victoria Leyland, an off-duty paramedic who was aboard the flight, was unable to save the dad's life despite her best efforts.
Speaking on the anniversary of his death, Chris's dad Mal said money raised through a GoFundMe set up by the family had been used to repatriate the late father and pay for his funeral - with leftover money placed into a trust fund for his children - with travel insurance Chris believed to have had having expired.
Mal has warned people to check they have valid travel insurance before they head on holiday. He said: "The GoFundMe fund paid for Chris's repatriation and funeral and gave his two boys a small trust fund each. As mentioned at the time, Chris thought he had travel insurance through his bank account but had changed banks and didn’t realise the new account didn't include it.
"It's a lesson people should take heed of, always check your insurance and if you don't have insurance, don't take a chance thinking you won't need any."