Qatar Airways crew dealt 'professionally' with body of dead woman on flight

Cabin staff acted ‘in line with training and industry standard practice’, says airline

The woman died on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha. AFP

Qatar Airways said its crew handled the body of a woman who died during a flight from Melbourne to Doha in a professional manner, after a couple said they were forced to sit next to the body.

The passenger collapsed in the aisle next to Australian passengers Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin's row after going to the toilet, and could not be revived. The deceased woman was then moved to a seat next to Mr Ring and covered in blankets, he told the Australian network Nine News.

Mr Ring said he was seated with the body for around four hours despite there being other empty seats available. The airline said in a statement to The National that the crew's handling of the woman's death was "in line with training and industry standard practice".

"After an internal review, it is clear that Qatar Airways cabin crew acted quickly, appropriately and professionally at all times," it said. "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," said the statement.

Qatar Airways said they have been in contact with the family of the deceased and other passengers who were directly impacted by the situation. They have been "offered emotional support and compensation."

"It is an unfortunate reality that unexpected deaths do sometimes occur on board aircraft across the aviation industry and our crew are highly trained to deal with these situations with as much respect and dignity as possible. At Qatar Airways we deeply sympathise with all those involved in this sad situation, and our thoughts remain with the family members of the passenger who passed away on board our flight," said the statement.

Earlier in the week, the airline issued an apology for "any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused". The Australian couple said they were en route to their "dream trip" to Venice when the incident occurred.

Mr Ring was asked by the crew to move over so they could place the woman in the seat he was in, he said. A passenger offered Ms Colin a seat beside her across the aisle. However, Mr Ring said the crew did not offer to move him, although there were other seats available. The couple said the cabin crew had difficulty moving the dead woman's body through the aisle to the business class section due to her physical size.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidelines, when a person has been declared dead onboard, they must be moved to a seat, “if available, one with few other passengers nearby”, and covered with a body bag or blanket up to the neck. The body of the deceased could also be moved to another area that does not block an aisle or exit, the guidelines also say.