Passenger dies onboard EasyJet plane heading to London after falling ill mid-flight
A MAN has died onboard an easyJet flight that was heading into London.
The plane was headed for Gatwick Airport from Cyprus this afternoon when a man, aged around 50, became ill mid-flight.
Desperate attempts to resuscitate the passenger using a defibrillator sadly proved unsuccessful.
Flight EZY8454 was largely full with holidaymakers, carrying them home from some winter sun in 24C Paphos.
It set off from the Greek island at 2.20pm local time before fear for the man's welfare was sparked at around 3.40pm GMT.
Eyewitnesses say the man appeared to be travelling alone and was unable to be woken up.
Passengers were held on landing at Gatwick for paramedics to board and pronounce the man's death.
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A source praised the way in which easyJet crew handled the distressing incident, reports the
A young air steward led the emergency response, while a fellow passenger said: "She's done absolutely amazingly, must be so tricky.
";The team handled the situation with extraordinary composure and professionalism."
EasyJet cabin crew calmly asked across the plane whether anyone on the flight was a certified doctor or paramedic when the man fell ill.
Two people hesitantly raised their hands to offer their help but unfortunately neither were able to offer more help than the crew's first aid capabilities.
Colleagues used a defibrillator in a bid to revive the man.
Once his death was confirmed, crew proficiently set about searching for the tragic passenger's luggage.
At 4.28pm GMT, as the plane passed over Paris, France, the flight's captain confirmed there had been a "medical incident" and asked for everyone to treat the dead man with dignity.