KLM has confirmed that a passenger who later died from hantavirus briefly boarded one of its flights in Johannesburg before being removed from the aircraft due to medical concerns.
The Dutch airline said it was informed of the incident by the Netherlands’ public health authority RIVM on Wednesday evening.
Passenger Removed Before Flight Departed
According to KLM, the passenger boarded flight KL592 from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25, 2026, but was not permitted to continue traveling because of their medical condition.
The flight, which also operated under codeshare numbers AF8282, DL9560 and SK6855, departed Johannesburg at 11:15 p.m. local time after the passenger was removed from the aircraft.
The passenger later died in Johannesburg.
KLM expressed condolences to the victim’s family, saying it wished the next of kin “much strength during this difficult time.”
Passengers Being Contacted As Precaution
Dutch health authorities are now contacting all passengers who were on board the flight as a precautionary measure.
GGD Kennemerland is coordinating notifications following guidance from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.
The alert relates to the Andes strain of hantavirus, which health authorities say has shown rare cases of human-to-human transmission in previous outbreaks.
RIVM stressed that such transmission remains extremely uncommon and generally occurs only after prolonged close personal contact.
Case Linked To Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak
The passenger is believed to be linked to the ongoing hantavirus outbreak associated with the cruise ship MV Hondius, which has already resulted in multiple deaths and international contact tracing operations.
Health authorities in several countries continue monitoring passengers and crew connected to the outbreak after confirmed cases were identified onboard the vessel.
The Andes strain of hantavirus is primarily found in South America and differs from many other hantavirus strains because of its limited potential for person-to-person transmission.
Risk To Public Considered Low
Despite the ongoing investigation, health officials continue to assess the overall risk to the wider public as low.
Experts say hantavirus is most commonly transmitted through exposure to infected rodents or contaminated environments rather than through casual human contact.
Authorities have nevertheless urged passengers from the affected flight to remain alert for symptoms including fever, respiratory illness and gastrointestinal problems and to seek medical advice if symptoms develop.
