A woman in her 50s passed away during charter flight BIX504K from Kristiansand and Billund to Gran Canaria on 8 December. The BRA Airbus A319 registered SE-RGV had to make an emergency landing in London Gatwick due to the situation.
Passengers were naturally upset, and the mood was sombre. They were informed about the emergency landing and subsequent confirmation of the passenger’s death the next day.
The woman was from Kristiansand and the flight was operated by Braathens Regional Airlines (BRA) on behalf of the travel agency Ving.
The crew couldn’t continue from London, so the plane flew empty to Las Palmas to pick up return passengers. After one night at an airport hotel, the passengers stranded in London were picked up in Gatwick on 9 December by ETF Airways Boeing 737-800 registered 9A-KOR to continue their trip to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
Ving’s manager expressed that such incidents are unpredictable, and both companies aimed to handle it as best as possible for everyone involved.
