A British Airways flight turned into a nightmare when several passengers and crew members suddenly fell ill midair, forcing an emergency landing and a dramatic response from hazmat-suited workers.
“It was definitely a flight from hell,” said Melanie Wells, 61, who was traveling with her 19-year-old daughter from London to Egypt for what was supposed to be a $10,000 all-inclusive getaway to Sharm El Sheikh.
Wells had been looking forward to the trip after not traveling for a long time, but things quickly went wrong.
“When we boarded, the temperature was so extreme that I started to feel unwell,” she recalled. “It was unbearably hot. I ended up getting a really bad headache.”
At first, Wells thought the heat was to blame. But about 90 minutes into the flight, she noticed chaos unfolding around her, according to the New York Post.
“Crew members suddenly began running up and down the aisle. I didn’t know what was happening,” she said. “One mom collapsed with her eyes rolling back, and even one of the crew members who was helping her collapsed too.”
In total, six people reportedly became ill. Wells herself felt nauseous and was convinced the problem was due to toxic fumes inside the cabin.
The plane was forced to land in Venice, Italy, where ambulances and fire engines surrounded the aircraft. Emergency teams in hazmat suits boarded the plane and began testing passengers and crew.
“I was absolutely terrified,” Wells admitted. “I kept thinking—have we all been breathing in poisonous fumes?”
She added that even the airline staff looked shaken, saying they were in “pure panic mode.” To make matters worse, she said passengers were given no updates during the ordeal.
After an eight-hour delay in Italy, the plane was flown back to London before finally reaching Egypt the following morning.
“It was horrific,” Wells said. “We ended up traveling for 40 hours. By the time we arrived, we were utterly exhausted,” according to the reports by the New York Post.
British Airways offered Wells nearly $3,000 to cover the cancelled flight, food, and other costs. But she claims they refused to refund the $667 lost for the missed first night of her vacation.
“BA has acted in the most cavalier manner,” Wells complained. “The trauma and distress ruined the start of our holiday.”
The airline has not revealed the cause of the illness but insisted the diversion was a “precaution due to a technical issue.” A spokesperson said there was no evidence of fumes and that the aircraft was inspected and cleared for service the next day.