KLM flight diverts to Yellowknife following inflight passenger death

Jay Robert, a cabin manager for a major European airline, described how crews handle these situations: "We go from service to lifesaving to mortician, dealing with dead bodies and then doing crowd control. We're having to calculate: 'Okay, we still need to serve 300 people breakfast or dinner and we have to deal with this.'"

According to IATA guidelines, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should continue until either signs of life return, CPR becomes unsafe or impossible due to exhaustion or landing is achieved. If lifesaving measures are unsuccessful after certain criteria are met—including no sign of life after 30 minutes—cabin crew notify the captain who coordinates with ground services. The deceased is usually placed in a seat covered by a blanket if no body bag is available; family members or companions are supported until authorities take over.

IATA also recommends use of Automated External Defibrillators when appropriate and suggests airlines prepare 'Do Not Resuscitate' plans for accompanied passengers so that families can make decisions regarding ongoing efforts.

Globally, fewer than 100 deaths occur inflight each year according to recent studies. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine has reported inflight medical emergencies occur at a rate of about 18 incidents per million passengers while fatal outcomes occur at a rate of roughly 0.21 deaths per million passengers as noted in a 2023 study referenced by Flight Delayed.

While rare, these incidents require professional training from cabin crews who must be prepared for unexpected emergencies during routine flights.