An airline is standing by its crew after two passengers had a grave complaint: They were stuck sitting next to a fellow traveler who, unfortunately, had departed during a four-hour flight.
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Earlier this week, passengers Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin reported a troubling incident during their Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha. According to the couple, a fellow passenger unexpectedly collapsed and died mid-flight. However, what followed proved even more disturbing for the pair, who were en route to Italy for a vacation.
“They said, ‘Can you move over please?’ and I just said, ‘Yes, no problem,’ ” Ring told Australian news show A Current Affair. “Then they placed the lady in the chair I was in.”
Ring and Colin said they were told not to change seats and had to stay next to the woman’s body, which was covered with a blanket, for the remaining four hours of the flight.
The Airline Claims They Followed Standard Practices with Passenger Death
However, Qatar Airways is sticking by their crew, claiming they followed standard protocol.
“Passengers were accommodated to other seats, and a crew member was sitting at all times with the deceased passenger for the duration of the flight until landing in Doha,” the airline said in a statement, via PEOPLE.
The airline stated that its staff is trained to manage the “unfortunate reality” of unexpected deaths during long flights, ensuring the situation is handled with the utmost respect and dignity.
Qatar Airways also refuted Ring and Colin’s claims, stating that they have provided support and compensation to the family of the deceased passenger, as well as to other passengers who were “directly affected” by the incident.
However, Ring and Colin had previously denied this claim.
“They have a duty of care towards their customers as well as their staff, we should be contacted to make sure — do you need some support, do you need some counseling?” Ring opined to A Current Affair. “I don’t really know how I feel and would like to speak to somebody to make sure I’m alright.”
Previously, a Qatar Airways spokesperson released a statement over the incident.
“First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight,” the airline said, per news.com.au.
“We apologize for any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused,” the Qatar spokesperson continued. They also claimed they were ” in the process of contacting passengers in line with our policies and procedures.”