An air passenger has died on board a Brussels Airlines route from the Belgian capital to Málaga, Spain, after being taken ill mid-flight. As a result of the incident, which took place on 20 September 2025, the flight was diverted to southwest France and met by emergency services before completing its route.
Flight SN3735 had already been delayed by one hour due to a cyber attack affecting several European airports. It departed Brussels at 1:08 pm but was forced to turn back before reaching Spain, making an unscheduled landing in Toulouse, France, at approximately 2:45 pm.
Efforts to treat the passenger were carried out by flight attendants in the air and by first responders on the ground, but ultimately were unsuccessful. The passenger’s identity had not been released at the time of writing, and no official statement has yet appeared in the carrier’s press room. However, Brussels Airlines spokesperson, Joëlle Neeb, told reporters: “The plane had to make a medical emergency landing due to an incident on board. The passenger was resuscitated on board the aircraft, but unfortunately, he passed away.”
Flight crews are trained to provide first aid and limited medical care, and follow protocols for assessing consciousness, airways, breathing, and circulation, but they are not qualified for all potential situations and sometimes must rely on asking whether there are medical professionals among the rest of the passengers. As well as carrying oxygen and defibrillators, kits on board many aircraft contain a variety of treatments, but some must be administered by certified practitioners. Some carriers can make contact with medical providers via satellite or radio phone for support.
Un pasajero falleció a bordo de Brussels Airlines A-320 con destino a Málaga el sábado 20, a pesar de los esfuerzos de reanimación realizados por la tripulación de cabina.
— Feliz Vuelo, online en: @esVivetuvida (@FelizVuelo) September 21, 2025
El Cmte. realizó un aterrizaje de emergencia en Toulouse. pic.twitter.com/GpLiqnFfkt
When an emergency landing is deemed necessary, pilots must consider the aircraft’s landing weight and whether fuel dumping is required, as well as weather conditions, airport facilities, and a range of other operational and commercial factors.
While some emergencies, such as mid-air births, are cause for wonder and celebration on board, fatal incidents can be very upsetting for witnesses. Earlier this year, one couple on board a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha were asked to sit next to the blanket-covered body of a woman who had passed away near them in the aisle. Passenger Mitchell Ring told Channel Nine her death was “pretty heart-breaking to watch” and said he and his wife were initially surprised that the airline offered them no emotional support, despite seating them next to a corpse for the remaining four hours of the route.
In the case of Flight SN3735, passengers were eventually able to continue their journey to Málaga at 4:32 pm and landed at their destination just before 6:00 pm.
