SYDNEY, Australia (The Guardian) – An Australian couple is speaking out after a distressing experience on a Qatar Airways flight, where they were made to sit next to a deceased passenger, despite empty seats being available on the plane.
Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were en route to Venice when a fellow passenger passed away mid-flight. The couple was relocated from their seats to make room for the body, which was then placed beside them, wrapped in blankets. While Colin was offered an alternate seat, Ring was left to sit next to the body for the remainder of the flight.
Despite expressing sympathy for the tragic situation and the crew’s prompt response, Ring was disturbed by the lack of attention to the passengers’ comfort. He recalled how emergency personnel unwrapped the body as they landed, in full view of other passengers, and noted the airline’s failure to follow up with them afterward.
“We’re not blaming the airline for the death, but there should be a process to ensure passengers’ emotional safety in such a situation,” said Colin. “The experience was deeply unsettling, and we never received any support from Qatar Airways after it.”
The couple is now advocating for airlines to adopt better procedures when handling similar incidents to prevent unnecessary trauma for passengers.
