British Airways flight BA32 stores deceased passenger in heated galley, prompting odor complaints

A woman in her 60s died one hour into British Airways flight BA32 from Hong Kong to London Heathrow on March 22, 2026; crew stored the body in a rear galley with heated flooring for the remaining 12 hours of the 13-hour flight, leading to passenger complaints of a foul smell and a 45-minute police hold on arrival. The airline states all procedures were followed, though IATA guidelines recommend seat restraint with blanket coverage rather than galley storage.

Some crew members have taken trauma-related leave. No route disruptions, fare changes, or booking impacts have been reported for the Hong Kong—London service.

Passengers on a British Airways Airbus A350-1000 endured what several described as a traumatizing final stretch of their flight after crew placed a deceased passenger’s body in the rear galley — a space with heated flooring that allegedly intensified decomposition odors across the cabin.

The woman, traveling among 331 passengers on BA32, passed away approximately one hour after the aircraft departed Hong Kong for London Heathrow. Pilots deemed the death a non-emergency and continued the 13-hour flight to its scheduled destination rather than diverting.

Crew initially proposed locking the body in a lavatory, but the flight deck rejected the suggestion. Instead, the body was isolated, wrapped in materials, and moved to a galley at the rear of the aircraft — an area passengers later said emitted a noticeable smell during the flight’s final hours.

Police met the aircraft upon arrival at Heathrow, holding passengers for 45 minutes while conducting an investigation.

What the airline says happened

British Airways has stated that “all procedures were correctly followed” and is providing support to crew members, some of whom have taken time off due to trauma from the incident. The airline has not received formal passenger complaints, according to reports from The Standard.

The decision to store the body in the galley rather than a lavatory or passenger seat appears to have been made by the cabin crew after the flight deck rejected the lavatory option. A source told The Sun that the crew had to “isolate” the body and wrap it before moving it to the rear galley.

The Airbus A350-1000 features heated flooring in certain galley areas — a design element intended to maintain food service temperatures. Passengers claimed this heating accelerated decomposition, though medical experts note that noticeable decomposition typically requires 24 to 72 hours postmortem under normal conditions.

Industry protocol for in-flight deaths

IATA guidelines recommend placing a deceased passenger in a body bag if available, or covering the body with a blanket up to the neck and restraining it in a seat. Galley storage is not mentioned as a standard procedure.

In 2023, a passenger died on a United Airlines flight from Newark to Rome. Crew covered the body and placed it in a first-class lavatory for the eight-hour flight, with no reported smells or complaints. The aircraft continued without diversion, and authorities handled the body upon arrival in Italy with no regulatory action.

A similar British Airways incident in 2019 on a London–New York flight involved seat restraint with blanket coverage — the method IATA considers standard practice.

The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is expected to issue a preliminary report within 30 days of the incident. If galley storage is deemed non-compliant with IATA recommendations, British Airways may face procedural review and crew retraining mandates.

What travelers should know

The incident has not affected flights from North America to Hong Kong or onward connections to London.

If you have an existing Hong Kong–London booking on British Airways: Monitor flight status via the airline’s manage booking portal. No schedule changes or operational disruptions have been reported. Contact the British Airways hotline at +44 203 250 0145 if you have concerns about crew welfare impacts.

If you’re planning a new trip: Cathay Pacific operates 14 weekly flights on the same route using A350-1000 aircraft, with faster connection options through Hong Kong. Economy return fares currently sit around $820 from US/CA gateways, €650 from Europe, and AU$1,450 from Australia/New Zealand.

If you’re currently in Hong Kong: No diversions or delays have been reported for BA32 or other British Airways services. Track real-time flight status via FlightRadar24 or the airline’s app.

Watch: The AAIB preliminary report, expected by mid-April 2026, will clarify whether galley storage violated standard procedures and whether British Airways faces regulatory action.