JET passengers complained after a dead pilot’s body was stored in a heated galley for 13-and-a-half hours.
The woman in her 60s died an hour after taking off from Hong Kong.
But the British Airways pilots decided to continue to Heathrow rather than turn back.
When the Airbus A350-1000 was about to land, there were complaints about the smell.
A source said: “Obviously the family with the woman were distraught, as were the crew.
“Many wanted to return to Hong Kong, but to put it bluntly, if a passenger has already died, that is not considered an emergency.
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“A discussion ensued about what to do with the body, and the crew refused the flight deck’s request to lock him in a bathroom.
“So they had to isolate the body, wrap it in materials and move it to a kitchen in the back of the plane.
“The galley had a heated floor, something some crew had overlooked, and towards the end of the flight there were claims that there was an unpleasant smell in that area.”
Police met with flight BA32 on Sunday and asked up to 331 passengers on board to remain in their seats for 45 minutes while they carried out investigations.
Bosses offered support to all crew but The Sun understands some have been off work due to trauma.
A source praised the crew. They said there is no single protocol for handling a passenger who died during a flight, adding that the airline did not receive any formal complaint.
BA said: “All procedures were followed correctly.
“Our thoughts are with the woman’s friends and family.”