A British Airways crew member was found dead in his San Francisco hotel room during a stopover between flights this week, according to reports.
A male crew member was found dead in his hotel bed after his colleagues reported he had failed to show up to work a flight back to the UK on Thursday, The Sun reported.
Hotel staff then found the crew member dead in his room, where he may have been for up to two days, according to The Standard.
The man’s colleagues were reportedly too upset to fly after learning the news, and BA flight 284 on April 17 from San Francisco International Airport to London Heathrow was canceled.
“There was no way the flight back from San Francisco could go ahead. Staff were in absolute bits at the sudden loss of their friend,” a source told The Sun.
The crew member had checked into the hotel on Tuesday after working a flight from Heathrow, but failed to show up for his return flight on Thursday.
Pilots who had already arrived at the airport ahead of the flight then returned to the hotel to support their colleagues.
The cancellation impacted up to 850 passengers. While the airline declined to provide travelers with an explanation, it did attempt to get impacted passengers booked in hotels.
“The steward was a popular member of the team and this came as a bolt from the blue,” the source added. “The grim reality is that he may have been dead in his bed for some time.”
British Airways confirmed the man was a member of their crew, writing in a statement, “Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of our colleague at this difficult time.”
Authorities did not share a cause of death or any other information about the crew member.
