London: A British Airways flight attendant died after collapsing in front of passengers just as the aircraft was preparing to take off from London, media reports said.

The incident occurred on New Year's Eve at London's Heathrow Airport, moments before the flight to Hong Kong was scheduled to depart, reported The Sun.

The 52-year-old flight attendant tragically collapsed in the rear of the plane, which had already locked its doors, with passengers seated.

The flight attendant could not be revived despite efforts by a passenger trained in first aid and the pilot's urgent call for medical assistance, leading to the cancellation of the flight due to a "medical emergency," said the report,

"Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crew, a patient was pronounced dead at the scene," the London Ambulance Service said in a comment to Metro UK.

No further information about the crew member was provided. However, The Sun reported that he had no pre-existing health conditions.

The flight was postponed until the next day, with new pilots and crew taking over the responsibilities.

"Our thoughts are with our colleague's family and friends at this difficult time," British Airways told the outlet.

Fox News reported that this was the second instance of a British Airways flight attendant passing away in the past few weeks.

Another crew member, also aged 52, was discovered dead in his hotel room on December 23, between flights. As a result, the flight, scheduled from Newark to London, was cancelled.