Taiwan’s Eva Air launches probe over death of flight attendant who fell ill mid-flight

Taiwanese airline Eva Air is investigating reports that an inflight supervisor allegedly ignored the condition of a flight stewardess who became seriously ill during a flight and subsequently died, according to media reports.

The investigation follows a viral social media post accusing the airline of failing to provide adequate protections for its employees, Taipei Times reported.

The post claimed the flight attendant fell ill on a flight from Milan to Taipei in September, but was ordered to continue working by the inflight supervisor. It further alleged that the supervisor neither sought medical assistance during the flight nor arranged for an ambulance after landing.

The post said that the crew member was eventually taken to a hospital upon arrival in Taipei, where she later died.

“This was not some regrettable coincidence, but the result of systemic and long-term indifference to crew members’ health,” wrote the anonymous author, who claimed to be a fellow flight attendant.

Focus Taiwan reported that the Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union on Oct 13 called for a thorough investigation into whether the crew member encountered any obstacles when seeking help while on board the flight.

The union also said it is examining whether the cabin crew manager’s behaviour constituted workplace bullying, and encouraged Eva Air to do the same.

Flight attendants face significant health risks due to irregular hours, long shifts, exposure to cabin pressure and UV radiation, and other stressors that can weaken immune systems and cause chronic illness, the union noted.

Eva Air said it was informed of the crew member’s death on Oct 11 and was offering support to her family.

Separately, the Taoyuan City Office of Labour Inspection announced on Oct 13 that it will launch its own investigation into the incident.