Qatar Airways Defends Crew Actions: Qatar Airways stated its crew acted "professionally" by placing a deceased passenger's body next to a couple on a 14-hour flight, offering compensation to distressed passengers.
By Aniket Chakraborty
Mar 1, 2025
Body Placed Next to Couple: The deceased woman’s body was placed next to an Australian couple for the remaining four hours of the flight.
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Industry Standards Followed: Qatar Airways said the crew’s actions were "in line with training and industry standard practice."
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Compensation Offered: The airline provided compensation to the deceased’s family and affected passengers.
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Couple Left Traumatized: Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin described the incident as "traumatizing," with the body covered in blankets beside them.
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Crew’s Handling: A crew member sat with the deceased until landing, and passengers were relocated to other seats.
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No Protocol for Passengers: The couple criticized the lack of protocols to assist passengers after such incidents.
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Unexpected Deaths Onboard: The airline acknowledged that unexpected deaths occur in aviation, and crews are trained to handle them respectfully.
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Passenger Relocation: Ring was asked to move, and his wife was invited to sit elsewhere, but no arrangements were made for him.
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Public Reaction: The incident sparked discussions about airline protocols for handling in-flight deaths and passenger welfare.