Flight Attendant Rushed to Hospital After ‘Unusual Odor’ in Cabin

A British Airways flight attendant was rushed to a local hospital moments after a transatlantic jet landed in the UK, after crew members raised alarms over a possible “toxic fume” incident onboard.

The scare unfolded on Flight BA2204, which departed Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and touched down at London’s Gatwick Airport early Wednesday morning. The seven-and-a-half-hour flight had been plagued by reports of a strange odor and growing illness among crew members, according to multiple accounts.

By the time the aircraft reached the gate at 7:54 a.m., one stewardess was so dizzy and nauseous that emergency crews escorted her to a nearby hospital “as a precaution.”

Several other people onboard said they felt sick during the flight but did not require medical treatment.

“It became the talk of the plane,” a source familiar with the incident said. “Something clearly wasn’t right, especially toward the back of the cabin. People were worried.”

Passengers and crew said a “bad smell” began circulating shortly after takeoff Tuesday night. The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200, continued on to London despite the complaints.

Crew members reportedly felt unwell for much of the journey.

“One stewardess was hit particularly hard,” the source said. “There were real fears it could be carbon monoxide or some other toxic exposure.”

Engineers inspected the aircraft upon arrival at Gatwick. British Airways has not confirmed the source of the odor.

Concerns about so-called “toxic fume events” have followed the airline industry for years. Carbon monoxide and other contaminants can enter aircraft cabins through faults in engine seals, exhaust systems, or cabin air supply mechanisms.

Campaigners say such incidents are underreported and poorly investigated.

“There’s still no mandatory system for detecting fumes in aircraft cabins,” one aviation safety advocate previously told reporters. “Crew members are often the first to suffer.”

In 2019 alone, British Airways jets were linked to dozens of reported fume events over a short period. Similar scares have occurred across multiple aircraft types and routes in recent years.

In one widely cited case, passengers on a long-haul flight reported eye irritation and confusion after exposure to cabin fumes. In another, a BA flight was forced to declare a full emergency shortly after takeoff due to smoke-like odors onboard.

More recently, pilots on a separate BA flight were hospitalized after suffering symptoms consistent with smoke inhalation upon landing in London.

Legal pressure is also mounting. Earlier this week, Airbus faced renewed legal action after a U.S. flight attendant claimed she developed long-term health issues following a cabin fume exposure during boarding.

British Airways confirmed the hospital visit but emphasized there was no immediate danger to passengers.

“A crew member on flight BA2204 was taken to hospital as a precaution after becoming unwell onboard,” a spokesperson for British Airways said. “The health and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our top priority, and we are investigating what happened.”

The airline added that it would not operate any aircraft believed to pose a safety risk.

For now, the incident adds to growing concerns about air quality onboard commercial flights — and renews calls for stronger monitoring systems as global air travel continues to surge in 2026.