Australian Couple Shares Distressing Flight Experience with Deceased Passenger

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin recounted the alarming moment when airline staff positioned the corpse of a deceased passenger adjacent to them during a Qatar Airways flight, leading to feelings of shock and neglect from the airline.

An Australian couple, Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, have described their distressing experience aboard a Qatar Airways flight, where the corpse of a deceased passenger was placed beside them. The couple was en route to Venice for a holiday when a woman suddenly collapsed in the aisle during the Melbourne to Doha flight. Tragically, despite prompt attention from the cabin crew, the woman could not be revived.

After the attempt to transfer her body to business class failed due to spatial constraints, cabin crew made the decision to place the deceased individual next to Mr. Ring, who was left shocked as he noticed the vacant seats in the vicinity. While Ms. Colin was allowed to move to an empty seat, Mr. Ring was compelled to remain close to the corpse, which was covered in blankets for the rest of the journey.

Upon the flight's conclusion four hours later, passengers were instructed to remain seated as medical personnel and police boarded. Mr. Ring described his distress as officers removed blankets from the deceased, saying, “I can't believe they told us to stay."

Expressing their disappointment, the couple noted a lack of support from Qatar Airways and its partner airline, Qantas, stating that no one had reached out to inquire about their well-being following the traumatic experience.

Ms. Colin characterized the incident as "traumatic," acknowledging that while the airline could not be responsible for the passenger's death, there should be protocols in place to support passengers during such incidents. Qatar Airways has issued an apology, emphasizing their condolences to the family of the deceased, while indicating that they are in the process of contacting affected passengers. Meanwhile, Qantas clarified that the situation on board falls under the management of Qatar Airways.