‘It wasn’t nice’: Australian couple forced to sit beside dead body for 4 hours on Qatar Airways flight

[firehyrant]

‘It wasn’t nice’: Australian couple forced to sit beside dead body for 4 hours on Qatar Airways flight​

International Latest News
Qatar Airways has apologised for the distress caused and confirmed it is contacting affected passengers.
By Trixy Toh - 26 Feb 2025, 4:53 pm

Passenger dies mid-flight, couple forced to sit next to dead body for 4 hours​

An Australian couple was left to sit beside the body of a deceased woman for four hours on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha.

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin recounted the harrowing experience to Australian news programme ‘A Current Affair’, describing how the woman collapsed and died in front of them after using the restroom, approximately 10 hours into the flight.

Despite the flight crew’s best efforts to assist, they were unable to revive the woman.

Due to the woman’s size, the crew was unable to move her through the aisles or up to business class.
Seated nearby in a row with empty seats, Mr Ring and Ms Colin were asked to “move over” so that the deceased woman could be placed on Mr Ring’s seat, where her body was covered with blankets.

Flight crew makes couple remain in their seats​

The couple was forced to stay in their seats for the remainder of their flight, sitting beside the body of the deceased passenger.

Source: A Current Affair on YouTube

The flight crew would not let them change seats and asked them to remain seated as medical staff addressed the body upon landing.

Qatar Airways allegedly did not offer any support afterward.

“I can’t believe they told us to stay . . . It wasn’t nice,” Mr Ring told ‘A Current Affair’.

They have a duty of care towards their customers as well as their staff,” he added, feeling that someone should have checked on their well-being after such a traumatic experience.


The couple, who were on vacation, expressed that they were “really trying to have a good time” despite the distressing ordeal, as Ms Colin shared.

Qatar Airways to reach out to couple​

On Monday (24 Feb), Qatar Airways issued a statement addressing the incident, expressing condolences to the family of the deceased passenger.

The airline also apologised for the distress caused by the event and confirmed it is in the process of contacting affected passengers, in line with its policies and procedures.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), there are established protocols for flight crews to follow when encountering death, or a presumed death, onboard.

Trained cabin crew are instructed to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and continue until the person is presumed or declared dead.

Once confirmed, the body is moved to a seat away from passengers.

 

[syed putra]

The crew in this case were negligent. The passenger should have been upgraded if there are no other seats available.
Plus one row behind and in front.

 

[sbfuncle]

Then Mr ring should just go the the lavatory to sit until when is time to land then come out.

 

[Semaj2357]

Then Mr ring should just go the the lavatory to sit until when is time to land then come out.

hanor, must fasten seatbelt till landing - and then make sure to flush

 

[bobby]

Liddat better donch buy Tattslotto or Power Ball for next 7 years….

 

[WangChuk]

its ok lah .... at least nobody snoring or making noise beside for the entire flight .... can also eat her share of Flight Meal too.