A couple’s vacation turned into a nightmare when they were forced to sit next to a deceased passenger on a 14-hour Qatar Airlines flight from Melbourne to Venice. The woman, who had not been publicly identified, suffered a medical emergency and collapsed in the aisle around 10 hours into the flight.
The crew attempted to move the body to business class but failed, leaving the couple with no choice but to stay seated beside the corpse for the remaining four hours of the flight. Despite the availability of spare seats, the airline did not allow one passenger, Mitchell Ring, to be moved from his seat next to the body.
Upon landing, emergency personnel removed the deceased woman from her seat, and ambulance officers started pulling back the blankets to reveal her face. The couple reported feeling “traumatized” by the experience and expressed disappointment in the lack of support from the airline.
Qatar Airways has since issued an apology for any inconvenience or distress caused by the incident, stating that their crew followed international aviation protocols and handled the situation with sensitivity. However, the couple claims that some care should be shown to those affected by having to sit next to the body for hours.
Source: https://nationalpost.com/news/australian-man-forced-to-sit-4-hours-beside-dead-passenger-on-qatar-airlines-flight