An Australian couple has recounted the “traumatizing” experience of having the body of a deceased passenger placed beside them during a Qatar Airways flight.

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, who were en route to Venice for a much-anticipated vacation, shared their ordeal with Australia’s Channel 9, revealing that a woman tragically passed away in the aisle next to them on the flight from Melbourne to Doha.

The couple reported that the cabin crew positioned the woman’s body, wrapped in blankets, right next to Mr. Ring for the remaining four hours of the journey without offering him an alternative seat, despite the presence of unoccupied seats.

In response, Qatar Airways expressed regret for “any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused,” indicating that they were actively reaching out to passengers affected by the situation.

Mr. Ring noted that the flight crew acted promptly when the woman collapsed, but sadly, “the lady couldn’t be saved, which was heart-wrenching to witness,” he shared during the A Current Affair program.

He explained that the crew attempted to move her body towards business class but faced difficulties due to her size. “They struggled to wheel her through the aisle,” he recounted.

“They seemed a bit frustrated and then looked at me, noting the empty seats available beside me, as my wife was seated on the other side in a row of four. Then they asked, ‘Can you move over, please?’ to which I replied, ‘Yes, no problem.’ That’s when they placed the lady in my seat.”

Ms. Colin expressed her disbelief when her husband informed her they were being asked to move: “I asked, ‘Are they really going to put her there?'”

While Ms. Colin managed to relocate to a nearby vacant seat, Mr. Ring stated that he wasn’t given the choice to move, even though there were open seats available.

Upon the aircraft’s landing four hours later, passengers were instructed to remain seated while medical personnel and police boarded the flight.

“The ambulance crew started to remove the blankets from the woman,” Mr. Ring recalled. “I ended up seeing her face. I can’t believe they told us to stay.”

The couple mentioned that neither Qatar Airways nor Qantas, the airline through which they booked their tickets, had reached out or offered any form of support following the incident.

“They have a responsibility to care for their customers as well as staff,” Mr. Ring stated. “We should be contacted to ensure we are okay and offered counseling if needed.”

Feeling disoriented, he added, “I’m not sure how I feel and would like to speak to someone to check in on my well-being.”

Ms. Colin characterized the incident as “traumatic,” stating, “While we fully understand that the airline cannot be held liable for the unfortunate lady’s passing, there should be clear protocols in place to support passengers on board.”

In their official statement, Qatar Airways extended their condolences, saying, “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight.” They emphasized their apologies for any distress caused and assured that they were in the process of communicating with affected passengers.

A representative from Qantas relayed, “The procedures for handling onboard incidents are the responsibility of the operating airline, which in this incident is Qatar Airways.”