Taiwanese Star Alliance carrier EVA Air is receiving quite a bit of scrutiny over a recent incident, which certainly points to the airline not prioritizing the wellbeing of its employees…
Ill EVA Air flight attendant forced to work, then dies
EVA Air is investigating an incident that happened on September 25, 2025, on flight BR95, from Milan (MXP) to Taipei (TPE). A 34-year-old flight attendant working the flight reportedly became ill during the outbound portion of the trip (to Milan). She had reported this to the cabin crew manager, but the manager didn’t take action, and she was forced to continue working.
Then on the return flight, her condition worsened. Despite that, the cabin crew manager reportedly didn’t contact Medlink (a ground based service that offers guidance during inflight medical emergencies), and instead told her to continue working.
Even after the plane landed back in Taipei, the manager ignored the flight attendant’s request to use a wheelchair, or to call an ambulance. She was eventually taken to a hospital, where she later died.
According to a fellow EVA Air flight attendant, “this was not some regrettable coincidence, but the result of systemic and long-term indifference to crew members’ health.”
In a joint statement, the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union and EVA Airways Corporate Union said they hoped this would make the airline more responsive to the needs of cabin crew, as they’re currently often afraid to take sick or personal leave, because it can impact their performance review and annual bonus. The unions are also investigating whether the cabin crew manager’s behavior constituted workplace bullying.
EVA Air has opened an investigation to learn more facts, and is providing support to the victim’s family. Meanwhile the Taoyuan City Office of Labor Inspection has also dispatched officials to begin their own investigation of the incident.
What an awful and (presumably) avoidable incident
While we don’t know what the cause of the flight attendant’s death was, one assumes that if she had received medical attention, her odds of surviving would’ve been much higher. She already wasn’t feeling well on the outbound flight, then felt worse on the return flight, and was then even denied help at the airport. That’s just really wrong, plain and simple.
This should definitely be investigated, not only by the airline, but also by Taiwan’s labor authorities. Based on what we know, it sure sounds like the cabin manager should’ve done more to look after the flight attendant.
On some level, I suspect this is an issue that’s more likely at airlines with very high service and image standards. Often following the rules and presenting a good image get in the way of taking care of people. This almost certainly wouldn’t have happened at a US airline, due to no small part because we don’t have the same hierarchical structure with flight attendants.
Bottom line
An EVA Air flight attendant tragically passed away after becoming progressively more sick on a trip to Milan. The flight attendant informed the cabin crew manager, but was allegedly told to continue working, and wasn’t given the help she needed.
The situation got so bad that she even requested an ambulance, but was denied, only to then later pass away in a hospital. My thoughts are with the flight attendant’s family, and here’s to hoping that this leads to some change. The wellbeing of flight attendants can’t be ignored in this way.
