A passenger who was traveling from New York in the United States to South Africa via Nairobi, Kenya, died onboard Monday this week after developing health complications midair.

The 66-year-old man was onboard Kenya Airways (KQ) flight from the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City in USA to South Africa, via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, on Monday.

According to the JKIA commandant Morris Kiplagat, the passenger was a dual citizen of Kenya and the United States.

Reports from the Kenyan capital Nairobi said that the police records have indicated that the passenger had developed breathing difficulties and other health problems while in transit on Kenya Airways.

Reports said that the plane had to be rerouted to Morocco to get specialized medical attention, but the passenger was pronounced dead on arrival at the Moroccan hospital.

Kenya Airways doctors on the flight said the passenger’s life was in danger as his organs showed signs of rapid failure. The flight had to be rerouted to Casablanca, Morocco.

Police in Nairobi have identified the person but did not release his name for ethical reasons.

The plane was scheduled to arrive at the JKIA at 10:30am on Monday but delayed past 7pm, when it touched down at the Kenyan capital the same day.

A family member of the deceased said the 66-year-old man was living with diabetes and other underlying medical conditions.

Upon confirmation of his death in Morocco, the body of the deceased was wrapped, packaged and transported on KQ plane as cargo.

Kenya Airways has confirmed that a passenger aboard one of its flights from New York to Nairobi has passed away.

The airline’s management said in a statement Tuesday evening that that a medical emergency had forced its pilots to divert the plane to Casablanca, Morocco.

The statement confirmed that the KQ003 Flight operating from New York to Nairobi had diverted to Casablanca, Morocco for a medical emergency after a passenger was recognized sick.

“On arrival to Casablanca, medical personnel at the airport found the passenger unresponsive and was confirmed to have passed away,” read part of the statement.

“We convey our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” Kenya Airways said.

“We sincerely apologize to our other guests for the inconvenience,” the carrier added through its statement…

Moroccan medical personnel tried to help but found that the passenger was already unresponsive.

The man’s family was reportedly informed of the incident and was at the airport to collect his body that was flown by the same flight from Morocco under the International Air Transport Association (IATA) protocols on a dead passenger on a flight.