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A rather strange incident saw a man aged 80 attempting to transport his deceased wife in a wheelchair at Tenerife Airport. This incident occurred in Tenerife’s South Airport, where suspicion was raised when staff at the airport’s security checkpoints noticed the man tried to pass through a metal detector with the woman remaining strangely unresponsive.
Further observation revealed that the woman in the wheelchair did not appear to be breathing, and checking her hand indicated an abnormally low body temperature, which resulted in the security alerting senior members of security staff, along with emergency and medical services.
An Unusual Incident In Tenerife
While it is not uncommon for human bodies to be transported via airplanes for repatriation, they are usually handled with special care and are usually navigated and processed separately at airports. However, an incident from October 2025, at Tenerife South Airport (TFS), as per reports from the Irish Star, unfortunately saw an elderly passenger navigating through the airport, pushing his deceased wife in a wheelchair. The situation was first noticed, and alarms were raised at the airport’s security checkpoint.
Reports indicate that the man, aged 80, was attempting to pass through the metal detector when airport security staff noted the strangely unresponsive demeanor of the woman in the wheelchair. Further checking revealed that the woman in question did not appear to be breathing, and when her hand was inspected (possibly for a pulse), the staff noted the abnormally low body temperature, which resulted in security alerting emergency and medical teams, along with senior personnel.
As per reports, the husband informed the authorities that his wife had passed away hours earlier, within the airport. While an investigation has been opened by the local authorities to understand the circumstances of this incident, reports indicate that the husband was arrested on site. Simple Flying has reached out to the airport to understand how the airport responds to such unusual situations; any response received will be updated in this article.
Reports Indicate A Similar Second Incident
While the aforementioned incident occurred in October 2025 in Tenerife, reports by NDTV World indicate another similar incident where a deceased passenger was boarded onto an easyJet flight from Malaga, Spain, to 
London Gatwick Airport (LGW), in the UK. In this incident from December 2025, it was an entire family who had wheeled their 89-year-old grandmother, who they claimed was “tired” and “unwell”.
As per reports, passengers saw members of the family wheel the body to the back of the aircraft on a wheelchair and lift the body onto the seat. Reportedly, the family was allowed to board their deceased grandmother, citing a valid fit-to-fly certificate, and the crew members only discovered the passenger had passed when the aircraft was preparing to take off. This resulted in the crew informing relevant personnel, citing medial emergency, and the aircraft returning to the terminal, where emergency service members confirmed the death. The whole flight was reportedly delayed by around 12 hours.
As per a quote from the airline published by Euro News, regarding this incident, it was stated that the aircraft returned to the terminal as a passenger required medical attention, who unfortunately passed away. However, easyJet maintains the position that the passenger had a valid fit-to-fly certificate and was alive when boarding the aircraft. While no arrests have been made, as per reports, the Spanish authorities are investigating this incident.
What Happens If Somebody Dies On A Flight?
A death mid-flight is rare, but not unheard of.
So How Are Bodies Meant To Be Transported?
From the aforementioned two incidents, it is clear that the bodies of the deceased are not meant to be wheeled onto an aircraft in wheelchairs and flown among passengers in the main cabin. So the question remains, what is the correct protocol for repatriating human remains? To handle such transportation, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has designed guidelines for airlines, cargo carriers, or freight forwarders to follow.
Remains of the deceased are repatriated as special cargo, and therefore are transported in the cargo hold of the aircraft or onboard dedicated freighter jets. This requires ensuring the body is properly packaged and sealed in a suitable casket or coffin. The body would also be embalmed to prevent decomposition while being repatriated. Once packed, the body is stored in temperature-controlled cargo compartments to ensure safe repatriation. While the body is being carefully handled, much like regular passengers and their cargo, the body to be repatriated also requires correct documentation.
While this entire process involves several people and can tend to be complicated sometimes, it is important that the repatriation process is done correctly to ensure the process is as smooth as possible and is done in a timely manner for everyone involved. With standardized checklists and procedures created by IATA, most airlines would be able to facilitate such repatriation missions, making it just a bit easier for any families involved.
