An Australian couple on holiday from Melbourne to Venice via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight had to spend four hours next to the body of a passenger who died during the flight.
The incident occurred when the woman came out of the lavatory and suddenly collapsed in the aisle. Despite the crew’s attempts to resuscitate the woman, she died. According to passenger testimony, the crew attempted to move the woman’s body to business class, “but she was quite a large lady and they couldn’t get her through the aisle.”
Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin said that because there were empty seats on either side of them, they were asked to move over to make room for the body. The dead woman was laid next to Mr Ring and covered with blankets for the remaining four hours of the flight to Doha.
“They said, “Can you move over please?” and I just said, “Yes, no problem,” Mr. Ring recalled. “Then they put a woman in the seat where I was sitting.”
The couple claim the flight attendants told them they had to remain in their seats next to the body for the remaining four hours of the flight.
Mrs. Colin, who is always nervous on flights, was traumatised by the incident and explained: “When my husband turned round and said: “Move, move, move,” I was shocked and asked: “Are they going to put her in there?”
A woman sitting in another row invited to sit in the empty seat next to her after she said flight attendants did not offer to move them away from the body.
The couple had to wait even after the plane landed in Doha for police and medics to board. Mr. Ring added: “I was there and I saw her face. Yeah, it wasn’t good. I can’t believe they told us to stay.”
Qatar Airways said: “First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight. We apologise for any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused and are in the process of liaising with passengers in accordance with our policies and procedures.”
