Katlego Sekhu
An Australian couple, Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, have spoken out about their distressing experience after sitting next to a deceased passenger during a Qatar Airways flight to Venice.
The pair told Australia’s Channel 9 that a woman passed away in the aisle next to them during the flight.
According to the couple, the cabin crew placed the body, covered in blankets, in a seat beside them for the remainder of the journey, despite there being empty seats available on the plane.
In a statement shared with the BBC, Qatar Airways said the crew’s handling of the situation was “in line with training and industry standard practice.”
The airline explained, “Passengers were accommodated in other seats, and a crew member was seated with the deceased passenger for the duration of the flight until landing in Doha.”
They added, “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.”
Qatar Airways also confirmed that they have offered support and compensation to the family of the deceased and other passengers directly affected by the incident.
In light of the story of the Australian couple’s traumatic flight experience, Drive 959 with Glen asked listeners: “Have you ever had an awkward situation happen with the person or people you were sitting next to?”
The responses were filled with strange and unbelievable encounters. Take a listen to the podcast for the full conversation.
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