The tragedy occurred on a TUI flight operating between Tenerife and Glasgow on Friday (December 29).
Reports suggest the female passenger suffered a cardiac arrest mid-flight, forcing the flight to divert from its original route and make an emergency landing in Madeira.
Flight tracking data shows TUI flight BY1573 departed Tenerife Sur Airport around 5:30pm local time bound for Glasgow, before a Squawk 7700 – indicating an emergency onboard the aircraft – was declared approximately one hour into the flight.
The plane then diverted to Funchal Airport before landing at 6:40pm local time.
Despite a prompt response from EMIR (Rapid Intervention Medicalized Team) on the ground in Madeira, medical crews were unable to save the passenger.
The flight was scheduled to continue on to Glasgow later that evening.
Our sister title The Herald has approached TUI for comment.
