American woman dies in Dubai after 13-hour flight

The passenger was taken by ambulance from the plane to a medical room at the airport where she died

Minutes before landing, the passenger said she felt unwell and was short of breath. EPA

An American woman died on board a transatlantic flight from New York to Dubai on Friday.

Brandi Hodges, 40, was travelling with her cousin on a 13-hour Emirates flight to the UAE for a holiday.

Minutes before landing, Hodges said she felt unwell and was short of breath. She fainted but regained consciousness briefly and spoke to attendants. Hodges was given oxygen and ice before she fainted again.

She was then taken by ambulance to a medical room at the airport, where first responders tried, unsuccessfully, to revive her with a defibrillator.

Hodges, from Chicago, was an energetic, healthy and avid traveller with no signs of illness, her cousin Gloria Ray-Banks told ABC-7 Eyewitness News.

Ms Ray-Banks said her sister was travelling with Hodges and called her in the early hours of the morning in hysterics to tell her what happened. She told her Hodges was struggling to remain conscious as people disembarked.

“So they sat down, and Brandi fainted," Ms Ray-Banks said. "Then my sister went and got one of the flight attendants.”

“Emirates can confirm that ground staff in Dubai contacted medical emergency services at Dubai International (DXB) to assist a passenger disembarking from EK204 06 June 6,” the airline said. “The passenger unfortunately passed away. Emirates offers its condolences to the passenger’s family and is providing them with assistance.”

The family plans to begin repatriating the body on Sunday, when businesses reopen after the Eid Al Fitr holiday.