On a long-haul Qatar Airways aircraft from Melbourne to Doha, a dead passenger was seated next to an Australian couple, shocking them. A fellow tourist passed away in midair while Mitchell Ring and his companion, Jennifer Colin, were on the 14-hour voyage.
After battling to find a different location for the body, the cabin attendants finally covered it with a blanket and placed it next to the couple for over four hours until the plane touched down. “It was a shocking situation,” Ring said, characterizing the event as quite distressing. It happened only a few hours into the flight, and for the remainder of the trip, we were seated close to a body.
The pair said that the airline did not provide them with much assistance after landing, despite the horrific event. They said that the way the matter was handled left them emotionally and physically unsettled, and they were disappointed.
In addition to expressing regret for the event, Qatar Airways said it is contacting the impacted passengers to provide help. Recognizing the challenging situation, the airline issued a statement stressing that they adhered to international guidelines for treating passengers who had passed away and in-flight medical situations.
Social media conversations over airline policies and how to handle such delicate circumstances have been triggered by this incident. In addition to expressing compassion for the couple, many individuals have questioned the airline’s response to the unanticipated tragedy.
