Qatar Airways apologises after Australian couple forced to sit next to dead passenger for hours on flight

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were en route to Venice for their dream holiday when a fellow passenger collapsed in the aisle near the aircraft's bathroom. Despite the crew’s efforts, the woman was pronounced dead on board.

Speaking to A Current Affair, Ring described the tragic moment, saying: “Unfortunately, the lady couldn't be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch."

The cabin crew initially attempted to move the body to business class using a chair, but due to the passenger’s size, they were unable to fit her through the aisle.

"They brought this chair down... and they put her in the chair and tried to wheel her up towards business class. But she was quite a large lady, and they couldn't get her through the aisle," Ring explained.

After failing to relocate the body, crew members asked Ring and Colin to shift to different seats nearby, placing the deceased passenger in a seat next to Ring. "They said, 'Can you move over please?' and I just said, 'Yes, no problem,'" he recalled.

Colin, already a nervous flyer, was shocked by the situation: "When my husband turned around and said, 'Move, move,' I was pretty shocked and I said, 'Are they going to put her there?'"

With no alternative seating options provided, a fellow passenger offered Colin a seat in another row, but Ring remained next to the body for the rest of the flight.

Upon arrival in Doha, the couple was further distressed as they were required to remain seated while paramedics boarded the aircraft. "It wasn't nice. They have a duty of care towards their customers as well as their staff," Ring said.

In a statement, Qatar Airways addressed the incident, saying: "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 contacting passengers in line with our policies and procedures."

The couple had booked their flight through Qantas, which confirmed that the incident is under investigation.