Morbid But True: The Story Of Singapore Airlines' 'Corpse Cupboards' On The Airbus A340-500

Simple Flying

By Giacomo Amati

Published Dec 18, 2023

Deaths onboard are a real rarity. However, airlines must be prepared to deal with such tragic scenarios, especially on long-haul flights.

Photo: Aero Icarus I Flickr

Singapore Airlines installed a "corpse cupboard" on its Airbus A340-500s to hold the body of an average-sized passenger's body in the unlikely event of a death onboard.
According to an airline spokesperson, the cupboard was never used before the long-range aircraft exited the fleet between the end of 2013 and the start of 2014.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that only 0.3% of flight emergencies lead to a passenger's death on average.