An incident on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha, where a deceased passenger was wrapped in a blanket and kept near other travellers, has made headlines across international media. An Australian couple who witnessed the event described the experience as “traumatic,” while the airline apologised for any distress caused to passengers.
“There Were Empty Seats, But We Weren’t Offered to Move”
Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, who were travelling to Venice for a holiday, told Australia’s Channel 9 that the woman sitting next to them suddenly fell ill and passed away during the flight. The couple explained that the cabin crew wrapped the body in a blanket and placed it next to them, leaving them to spend the remaining four hours of the flight in this situation.
According to the BBC, despite empty seats being available on the plane, the couple was not offered the option to change seats. Mitchell Ring described the shock of the experience:
“They asked me, ‘Could you please move over a bit?’ I said, ‘Yes, no problem.’ Then they placed the woman in my seat. There were empty seats, but we weren’t offered them…”
His partner, Jennifer Colin, characterised the ordeal as “traumatic” and added:
“We can’t blame the airline for the woman’s death. But there should be a specific protocol in place to care for passengers during such situations.”
Qatar Airways’ Statement: “We Apologise for the Distress Caused”
Following the incident, Qatar Airways issued a statement expressing their condolences to the deceased passenger’s family. The airline said:
“We apologise for any distress or inconvenience this incident may have caused. We are in communication with passengers in accordance with our policies and procedures.”
A Qatar Airways spokesperson added:
“The management of such incidents onboard is carried out in line with the procedures established by the operating airline. In this case, Qatar Airways’ existing protocols were followed.”
The event has sparked a global discussion on how airlines handle medical emergencies during flights, with aviation authorities expected to review the situation and consider potential new regulations.
