An Australian couple, Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, say they had a heartbreaking experience on a Qatar Airways flight when a passenger died next to them. The flight was travelling from Melbourne to Doha and the female passenger suddenly fell ill mid-flight. Despite quick action by the cabin crew, she could not be saved.
Because he was so heavy, the crew tried unsuccessfully to move him to business class. He was later placed in a seat next to Mitchell Ring, and Jennifer Collin was able to move to another empty seat. Mitchell Ring was not given the opportunity to sit anywhere else, although there were other empty seats on the flight.
The body remained next to him for four hours, which became an emotionally distressing experience for the couple. When the flight landed in Doha, medical teams and police boarded the plane and the entire cabin was asked to remain seated before the body was taken off the plane.
The couple have complained that Qatar Airways and booking agent Qantas have not offered them any emotional support or apology. They say there should be a specific policy for passengers in such situations so that such incidents can be better handled in the future.
Qatar Airways issued a statement saying, "Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased passenger" and expressing regret for the passengers' distress. However, according to the couple, the airline has not yet contacted them.
Meanwhile, Qantas said that "flight operation policies fall entirely under Qatar Airways", so they cannot play any role in the matter.
The couple claim that airlines should also pay attention to the mental health of passengers and provide prompt assistance in such situations.
