The woman became ill after working on a long haul flight from Heathrow to Ghana’s capital Accra.
A British Airways steward has died after catching malaria in Africa.
The woman became ill after working on a long haul flight from Heathrow to Ghana’s capital Accra.
She is believed to have been staying at a hotel in the city with other BA cabin crew members when she started showing signs of the disease.
A major internal investigation is under way into how the woman - who has not been named - contracted the illness.
All BA air crew flying to the West African country are given anti malarial tablets and medical advice about how to protect themselves while working abroad.
One source said: “It’s obviously devastating for her family and all who knew her.
“There is huge concern about cabin and flight crew flying to Ghana after such a tragic incident.
“We are hoping that all safety measures are now taken to makes sure it does not happen again.”
BA refused to discuss details of the tragedy - which happened earlier this month - for reasons of “confidentiality”.
The airline employs around 14,000 cabin crew worldwide, most of them based at Heathrow.
A BA spokeswoman said last night: “We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of our colleague.
“The safety of our colleagues and customers is our top priority.
“Cabin crew are given top strength repellent and fully briefed every time they fly into a malarial area in order to give them the best protection.
“Medication is available to those who wish to use it, either before they fly or when they are at their destination.
“We check our hotels and transportation to minimise the chance of contact with mosquitos.”
It comes six years after an cabin crew member died from malaria after working on a BA flight from Heathrow to Ghana. Two more became ill after flying to other destinations.
Malaria is contracted when a bite from a female mosquito carring the malaria parasite is released into the bloodstream.
It multiplies in the liver before re-entering the bloodstream to attack the red blood cells. Half a million people die every year from the disease in Africa.
The majority of fatalities in the UK caused by malaria are from the plasmodium falciparum species of parasite, transmitted by mosquitoes, which is predominant in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sufferers become ill very rapidly, and without treatment can suffer multiple organ failure and die.
About 2,000 Britons return to the UK every year having contracted malaria.
