A Melbourne couple has described their horror and distress after being seated next to the body of a deceased passenger for four hours during a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha.
Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were en route to Venice for their dream holiday when tragedy struck mid-flight. A woman collapsed in the aisle next to them after returning from the bathroom. Despite swift efforts from the cabin crew, she could not be revived.
Speaking to Channel 9’s A Current Affair, Ring recounted how airline staff attempted to move the deceased woman to business class but were unable to do so. Instead, they instructed him to shift seats before placing the body in his original seat, covering it with blankets.
“They looked a bit frustrated and just said, ‘Can you move over please?’ I said, ‘Yes, no problem,’ and then they placed the lady in the chair I was in.”
While Colin was able to move to a nearby vacant seat, Ring said he was not offered an alternative despite empty seats being available. He remained seated next to the body until the flight landed, where he and others were instructed to stay put as medical and law enforcement personnel boarded the aircraft.
“I was there and I got to see her face. Yeah, it wasn’t nice,” he said.
“I can’t believe they told us to stay. I thought they would have let us out quickly and then let the ambulance and police handle the situation.”
The couple expressed frustration over the airline’s handling of the situation, saying there should be a clear protocol to ensure passengers receive proper care in such traumatic events. They also stated that neither Qatar Airways nor Qantas, through which they booked the flight, had contacted them to offer support or counselling.
“We totally understand that we can’t hold the airline responsible for the poor lady’s death, but there has to be a protocol to look after the customers on board,” Colin said.
Qatar Airways has since issued a statement expressing condolences to the deceased passenger’s family and apologising for any distress caused to other travellers. The airline confirmed it is in the process of contacting affected passengers.
“The process for handling incidents onboard an aircraft like this is managed by the operating airline, which in this case is Qatar Airways.”
The International Air Transport Association’s protocol states that if a passenger dies mid-flight, they should be moved to an empty row if available, or otherwise returned to their original seat with a blanket for dignity and respect. However, the couple believes more should be done to support passengers who endure such traumatic experiences.
Now in Italy, Ring and Colin are doing their best to enjoy their holiday despite the distressing ordeal.
“I don’t really know how I feel, and I would like to speak to somebody to make sure I’m alright.”
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