A couple, eagerly anticipating their dream Italian vacation, found themselves in the midst of a harrowing flight nightmare when they were compelled to endure a four-hour journey seated next to a deceased body, with no alternative seating arrangement offered.
En route from Melbourne, Australia to Venice, Italy via Doha, Qatar, Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin encountered a tragic turn of events when a woman collapsed in the aisle adjacent to them and perished mid-air. In an interview with Australia's "A Current Affair," the visibly disturbed duo recounted their ordeal, revealing that the deceased woman was placed beside them, draped with a blanket over her body, while they were denied the opportunity to relocate their seats for the duration of the lengthy flight.
Jennifer found a glimmer of hope when a fellow passenger offered her an adjacent vacant seat, but Mitchell's fate was less fortunate. He was instructed to shift one seat over to an empty spot in his row, so the deceased woman could be positioned in his original assigned seat. He expressed disbelief, stating, "I could see several empty seats surrounding us. I can't fathom why they insisted we stay."
His distress intensified as the flight concluded, when passengers were instructed to remain seated while medical personnel removed the unidentified body. Mitchell recounted that the staff made no attempt to keep the woman covered, leaving her face exposed to him.
According to guidelines set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), deceased individuals should be placed in a seat with minimal proximity to other passengers and covered with a body bag or blanket.
Clearly shaken, Mitchell and Jennifer expressed their determination to make the best of their time in Italy. Despite their efforts to reach out numerous times, they claimed that Qatar Airways had not contacted them. In a statement to TMZ, Qatar Airways conveyed their condolences to the deceased passenger's family and apologized for any inconvenience or distress caused, stating that they were in the process of contacting passengers in accordance with their policies and procedures.
