12 January 2024 , 09:59
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A Ryanair flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a British passenger suddenly died on board whilst the plane was positioned at 38,000 feet in the air.
Passengers were left horrified as they watched the man receive CPR before he was pronounced dead. The tragedy took place after the travellers boarded the plane at Malaga, Spain, as they expected to make their way back to Manchester Airport. However, the pilot was forced to divert the plane to Bordeaux, France on January 7.
The disturbing incident is said to have caused one person to faint due to stress, whilst children were said to be "confused and upset". The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have since confirmed that the passenger who died was a British national and that their family are being supported.
One passenger, who wished to remain anonymous, said that after landing in Bordeaux, they were told they would be given alternative accommodation. However, transport options were limited and many ended up sleeping in the airport overnight before finally flying back to Manchester the next day. She revealed: "They asked if anyone was medically trained on board. We had to do an emergency landing in Bordeaux and a passenger next to us performed CPR the whole time that we were landing, but he unfortunately didn't make it.
The flight was forced to divert to Bordeaux, France (FlightRadar24)"People became stressed and needed water and air but there was not enough water for everyone. A woman then fainted due to the stress of the situation. There were also many distressed children on board who were very confused and upset. The pilot then announced we will not be continuing the flight and will have to stay overnight in Bordeaux." Despite the traumatic ordeal, Ryanair is not required to refund the customers due to the 'medical emergency' leading to the diversion and subsequent delayed journey home. They have claimed that all passengers were offered accommodation and advised they could claim back their own travel costs to the hotel due to limited transport options, reports Manchester Evening News.
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Passengers said they had to sleep at the airport after the incident (No credit)A spokesperson from Ryanair told the publication: "This flight from Malaga to Manchester (7 Jan) diverted to Bordeaux when a passenger became ill on board. Cabin crew called ahead for medical assistance and the aircraft was met by paramedics upon arrival. As a result, this flight was delayed overnight and passengers were notified by email/SMS and airport staff. Passengers were offered overnight accommodation, and despite Ryanair's efforts to arrange transport to the hotel, availability of transport was limited, and passengers were advised that they could also arrange individual transport to the hotel and that they could claim back expenses on Ryanair.com.
"The following morning, airport staff were present to check-in all passengers free of charge and issue boarding passes before this flight departed for Manchester at 10:02 local." A FCDO spokesperson said: "We are providing consular support to the family of the British national that died on a flight diverted to Bordeaux". The Mirror has contacted Ryanair for comment.
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