Airline Responds To Couple Sitting Next to Dead Body for 4 Hours During Flight

HELLFIRE

https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1414105/qatar-airways-responds-after-couple-had-to-sit-next-to-dead-body-for-4-hours-during-flight

After Australian couple Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin came forward saying that they were forced to sit next to a dead body for four hours of a recent flight from Melbourne to Doha, the airline defended the actions of its crew members who were simply following protocol based on the “unfortunate reality” of the situation after a passenger suddenly collapsed and died. …

From another source : https://www.businessinsider.com/deaths-on-flights-passengers-cabin-crew-training-handle-dead-bodies-2025-2

… Deaths on airplanes are not unheard of, though they are comparatively rare. A 2013 study found that medical emergencies happen once in every 604 flights. Deaths are even rarer, resulting from 0.3% of such incidents. … In 2004, Singapore Airlines began operating Airbus A340-500s with a locker that could store a body, which became known as a “corpse cupboard.” The airline retired its A340-500s in 2013. …

Pardon the black humor but, wasn’t this the plot of a couple of movies?

Seat the body next to me, give me a blanket to cover the body up with, let me sit in aisle seat, and I’ll take the couple’s spot… best silent company on a long distance flight I’ve ever had!

Regards

Somewhat-Reticent

HELLFIRE … … … … … Couldn't a body bag be moved to baggage area?

HELLFIRE

Somewhat-Reticent Couldn't a body bag be moved to baggage area?

Answered to a degree in the BusinessInsider article, specifically

... While Monnerville didn't deal with a passenger's death during his time as a flight attendant, he said he used to do first aid with the French Red Cross — where he experienced how difficult it can be to move a body. "Somebody unconscious already is quite hard to deal with in a regular house, but you can imagine in such a confined space [as a plane]," he told BI. Monnerville added that it would be an extra challenge on newer planes as the aisles are narrower to fit in more seats. ...

From a quick google-fu, Melbourne to Doha via Qatar Airways uses a Boeing 777 -- https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/QTR905

How big the deceased passenger was, how many people it'd take to move such a body, and how much of the plane this body'd have to be moved through, ya got me...

HTH.

Regards

Somewhat-Reticent

HELLFIRE They had her in a wheelchair.
Could've used a better-placed seat, not trapping other passengers.

HELLFIRE

FWIW, from some other sources of this story : https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/disturbing-plane-act-doesnt-pass-pub-test/news-story/a302b2105dc1d9ec4dc501a88fcd1b41 -- Disturbing plane act doesn’t pass ‘pub test’

... Mr Ring said airline staff brought in a two-wheeled chair to try and move the deceased passenger to business class, but they were unable to. “They looked a bit frustrated and then they just looked at me and saw seats were available beside me – my wife was on the other side, we’re in a row of four by ourselves – and they just said to me, ‘Can you move over, please?’, and I just said, ‘Yes, no problem,’ and then they placed the lady in the chair that I was in.” He claims to have sat next to the deceased for the four remaining hours of their journey from Melbourne to Doha. Mr Ring explained that when they landed “they told us in our area to stay in our seats”. [And] then the ambulance officers and the police came in, and then the ambulance officers started pulling the blankets off. ...

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/qatar-airways-issues-apology-for-making-couple-sit-next-to-dead-passenger-for-four-hours-defends-crews-actions-as-appropriate/articleshow/118652220.cms?from=mdr -- Qatar Airways issues apology for making couple sit next to dead passenger for four hours; defends crew's actions as 'appropriate'

... According to Ring, the cabin crew faced difficulties moving the woman's body to the business class section, as she was "quite a large lady," and after struggling to find an appropriate place, the staff decided to place her next to him. Ring also noted that, although Colin was offered a seat elsewhere on the plane, he was not offered a seat change despite vacant ones being available around him. ... Colin acknowledged that the airline was not responsible for the woman's death, but expressed concern that the situation could have been managed better. ...

https://www.iata.org/contentassets/ccbdc54681c24574bebf2db2b18197a5/death-on-board-guidelines.pdf -- the IATA recommendations regarding death aboard, FWIW.

So moving the deceased didn't sound like a viable option. Where the chips fall post-landing and from an overall customer service POV, I'll let em fall where they may.

Regards

broknsymetry

Not enough room in the overhead?

Heat84

They could've put the body in a lavatory.

I don't know how this works in Australia, but if I was one of those passengers(If their version of events was what happened and they had to sit right next to the body), I would've consoled myself thinking about the millions of dollars I'm gonna get in the lawsuit.

I'm not sure if it would bother me to sit next to a dead body. I guess would depend on how bad it smelled. Me being scientific minded, it probably wouldn't bother me. Maybe my curiosity would distract me from problems of sitting next to a dead body.

HELLFIRE

Heat84 I guess would depend on how bad it smelled.

IIRC, stories stated the deceased passenger died suddenly 10hours into 14hour flight...

Regards

broknsymetry

I wonder if some of this could be to preserve the scene for possible forensic investigation. They can't assume the death was due to natural causes.

Astyanax

broknsymetry I wonder if some of this could be to preserve the scene for possible forensic investigation. They can't assume the death was due to natural causes.

I can see an upcoming mystery novel title: Death on the Aisle. 🙄

px_eliezer_

Various articles have said (and maybe someone here also said it earlier---) the airplane crew could have left the deceased person in place, and moved the other two passengers (the Australian couple) to Business Class.

There WERE available seats in Business Class.

But as many people around the world have commented, GOD FORBID that people who paid for Economy tickets would be moved to Business Class.

Especially for a snooty airline such as Qatar, it's practically against a law of nature.

Astyanax

px_eliezer_ Especially for a snooty airline such as Qatar, it's practically against a law of nature.

Qatar actually has some of the cheaper business/first class fares BTW. I was seriously considering them but they had some lousy layover times.

Heat84

Astyanax I can see an upcoming mystery novel title: Death on the Aisle. 🙄

It's already been an episode in at least 3 TV shows. House M.D., CSI, and Bones to name 3.