Tragedy as British Airways pilot dies between flights after collapsing in front of holidaymakers

A “very popular” pilot died on a between flights when he suddenly collapsed in a luxury hotel.

The as yet unnamed senior first officer , 47, collapsed in front of holidaymakers on Monday after arriving in . The tragedy left his crew devastated, who have been offered counselling.

The airline was forced to cancel flight BA2158, due to depart from the Caribbean island and land at London Gatwick this week. A source told the : “This tragedy has left staff stunned and deeply upset.

“The senior first officer was very popular and his death was completely out of the blue. He was the life and soul; a really popular guy and just 47-years-old old. He collapsed suddenly in a public area.

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“It’s so sad this has happened and everyone has been hit for six. Bosses have handled the tragedy in an incredibly sensitive way and staff can speak to a trained counsellor if it helps them.”

British Airways executives are liaising with St Lucia authorities and are in contact with the pilot’s family. The airline said: “Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of our colleague at this difficult time.”

Earlier this month passengers on a British Airways flight ended up on a nine-hour trek to nowhere when the plane, halfway across the Atlantic, had to turn back due to a technical issue. The Boeing 777, which can carry over 300 people, was en route from London to San Jose in Costa Rica on Tuesday morning but never completed its journey.

According to Flightradar24, the flight left around 30 minutes behind schedule and, after about five hours into the flight, it made an abrupt U-turn over the Atlantic Ocean, returning to Europe. The 5,431-mile trip that usually takes around 10 hours saw this particular flight landing back at Gatwick Airport approximately nine hours after departure.

BA said: "We're sorry for the delay in our customers' travel plans after their aircraft experienced a minor technical issue."