An Australian couple recently found themselves in a challenging situation during a flight with Qatar Airways when they ended up sitting next to a deceased passenger for a long 4-hour journey. Despite the fact that the passenger’s death was not caused by the airline, the couple had some reservations about the way the situation was handled.
According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Lynn (Mitchell Ring) and Colin (Jennifer Colin) were on their way to Venice, Italy for a vacation. While aboard Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha, a female passenger collapsed in the aisle next to them after using the restroom.
Lynn told Australian Channel 9 TV station that despite immediate efforts by the cabin crew to save the woman, she tragically passed away. The crew tried to move her body to the business class section, but due to her large size, they were unable to maneuver her through the aisle.
At that moment, the crew noticed the empty seats next to the couple and asked them to make space for the deceased woman’s body. Lynn shifted seats to allow them to place the body on his original seat and covered it with a blanket.
While Colin was able to move to a nearby seat, Lynn stated that the crew did not offer him that option to relocate. He ended up sitting alongside the body for 4 hours until the plane landed.
All passengers were instructed to remain in their seats while medical personnel and police boarded the plane for inspection. Medical staff later uncovered the blanket covering the body, allowing Lynn to see her face.
Colin described the experience as “painful.” She mentioned that while they fully understand that Qatar Airways was not responsible for the woman’s death, the airline should have prioritized the care of other passengers onboard.
The couple complained that neither Qatar Airways nor the Australian airline that booked their tickets, Qantas, reached out to them to offer assistance or mental health counseling.
In response, Qatar Airways stated in a release: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on our flight. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused. We are reaching out to the passengers in accordance with our policies and procedures.”
A spokesperson for Qantas mentioned that the operating airline is responsible for handling such in-flight incidents, which in this case is Qatar Airways.