Tragedy in the air.

A flight attendant died during the flight due to a heart attack. The drama took place last Tuesday on a flight of Gulf Air, the state-run airline of Bahrain.

The plane was on its way from Bahrain International Airport to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris when flight attendant Yasser Saleh Al Yazidi fought for his life at an altitude of 10.36 km.

The pilots of the Airbus A321 were forced to make an emergency landing in Erbil in Iraq’s Kurdistan region to treat Yasir. The aircraft was met by a medical team, which immediately took the ill flight attendant to a nearby hospital. He was declared dead on arrival.

The Airbus remained parked in Erbil for about four hours before passengers continued their journey to the French capital. Airport director Ahmed Hoshiyar told local media that the plane was more than ten kilometers above Iraqi territory at the time of the emergency.

A statement from Gulf Air said: “The national carrier extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the crew member and confirms that the flight to Paris has proceeded as planned.”

In the letter, the airline assured that “the safety of passengers and crew is the top priority and thanks the passengers of the affected flight for their patience and understanding”.

Most commercial flights are not equipped with specialized medical equipment and unless there is a doctor on board, pilots are usually required to make an emergency landing at an appropriate airport should serious medical problems arise during flight.