India, March 22 -- A female passenger in her 60s died shortly after takeoff on a long-haul British Airways flight from Hong Kong to London, prompting an unusual and distressing situation onboard.

The incident occurred on Flight BA32, operated by an Airbus A350-1000, on Sunday. According to reports, the passenger passed away roughly one hour after departure.

Flight continued despite death

Despite the medical emergency, the flight crew chose to continue the 13.5-hour journey to Heathrow Airport rather than divert.

Aviation protocols generally do not classify a confirmed passenger death as an emergency requiring diversion, especially when medical intervention is no longer possible.

Crew members initially considered placing the body in a...