A British Airways flight from London Gatwick to Egypt descended into chaos when passengers and cabin crew fell seriously ill from suspected toxic fumes. The December 23rd flight, carrying Melanie Wells and her 19-year-old daughter Imogen on a £7,500 luxury holiday, was forced to make an emergency landing in Venice.
Wells initially attributed her severe headache to the "extreme temperature" on board the aircraft. Within two hours of takeoff, however, multiple passengers and crew members had collapsed, with staff members falling down the aisle as the situation deteriorated rapidly.
Emergency response in Venice
The aircraft was immediately swarmed by emergency workers wearing hazmat suits and carrying testing devices after landing in Venice. Wells described the scene as "pandemonium" as passengers feared they had been exposed to toxic substances during the flight.
She said: "About six people fell seriously ill on board while we were in the air. I felt very unwell. I felt nauseous and had a headache. At the time I put it down to stress but now looking back I think it was fumes."
Compensation dispute
The flight was eventually diverted back to London after an eight-hour delay, completely disrupting the start of Wells' much-anticipated holiday to Sharm El Sheikh. Wells claims British Airways has offered £2,000 in compensation, which she considers insufficient given the traumatic experience.
Wells said: "I'd really pushed the boat out. I hadn't been very well so treated me and my daughter to an ultra-high-end all-inclusive in Sharm El Sheikh. I hadn't been away for ages, it was definitely much-needed."
She described witnessing one passenger whose "eyes rolled into the back of her head" while crew members who were trying to help had themselves collapsed from the suspected fumes. British Airways confirmed the aircraft was diverted due to a "technical issue" on board.
Sources used: "GBNews", "Mirror", "Daily Star", "The Standard", "Daily Mail" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
