"Flight from Hell" on British Airways: passengers and crew fall ill mid-air due to toxic fumes
A British Airways flight turned chaotic when passengers and cabin crew reportedly felt sick mid-air, leading to an emergency landing and a dramatic hazmat response.
Melanie Wells, 61, was traveling with her daughter Imogen, 19, on a £7,500 luxury TUI package to Egypt when the incident occurred on December 23. Shortly after leaving London Gatwick, she developed a severe headache, which she assumed was due to the stifling heat onboard. Within two hours, she noted multiple passengers were unwell, and crew members collapsed in the aisle.
The jet was diverted to Venice, where it was met by firefighters in full protective suits, armed with testing devices. Wells described the scene as "pandemonium," fearing toxic fumes were to blame. The pair were later flown back to London after an eight-hour delay, missing the first day of their trip.
Melanie insists the experience "ruined" the start of their holiday and is demanding more compensation than the £2,000 she claims the airline has already offered. British Airways confirmed the plane was diverted due to a "technical issue" onboard.
Melanie, who lives in Eastbourne, East Sussex, said: "I’d really pushed the boat out. I hadn’t been very well, so I treated myself and my daughter to an ultra-high-end all-inclusive in Sharm El Sheikh. I hadn’t been away for ages; it was definitely much-needed. When we boarded, the temperature was so extreme that I started to feel unwell. It was supersonically hot.
"I ended up getting a really bad headache and attributed it to the heat. About an hour and a half into the flight, crew members suddenly began running down the aisle back and forth. I didn’t know what was happening. There was one mom whose eyes rolled into the back of her head. The crew looking after them had actually collapsed because of the fumes.
"About six people fell seriously ill onboard while we were in the air. I felt very unwell. I felt nauseous and had a headache. At the time, I attributed it to stress, but now looking back, I think it was fumes."
After an emergency landing in Venice, Melanie said ambulances and fire engines surrounded the plane before staff in hazmat suits and breathing apparatus rushed onboard. The mom said: "We were told nothing the whole time. We landed, and the whole plane was surrounded by police, ambulances, and fire services.
"And then men in hazmat suits with full breathing apparatus came on board with what I assumed were testing devices, running them over the stewards and stewardesses, then doing it to the affected passengers. I was absolutely terrified—I was out of my mind with worry, I was really fearful. It was pandemonium. The staff were in pure panic mode. I wondered if we had all been inhaling toxic fumes. At no point did the captain give us any information."
After an eight-hour wait in Italy, the plane was diverted back to London Gatwick before finally landing in Egypt the following morning. Upon arriving home, Melanie submitted a complaint to BA, which she says offered £2,130 in compensation for the canceled flight, meal expenses, and issues faced.
But Melanie says the airline is refusing to refund her for the first night of accommodation they missed in Egypt due to the delays. Melanie said: "We were traveling for 40 hours. We were utterly exhausted. The experience was horrific. It was definitely a flight from hell. BA has acted in the most careless manner. The distress and trauma we experienced were utterly traumatic. It ruined the start of our holiday. I want the £500 for the missed accommodation too. It was a horrific experience."
A British Airways spokesperson said: "The safety of our customers and colleagues is always our top priority, and our aircraft diverted as a precaution because of a technical issue. We’ve apologized to our customers for their experience and have offered compensation accordingly."
BA stated there was no evidence of any fumes onboard, and the plane was checked and back in service the next day. The company did not clarify what the ’technical issue’ was.
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