Couple Forced To Fly Sitting Next To Dead Body Of Flyer Who Died Mid-Air: Report

Last Updated:February 25, 2025, 17:02 IST

The lifeless body was placed next to the couple and they flew sitting beside it for the remaining duration of the Doha-Venice flight.

The passenger collapsed and died mid-flight and her body was placed beside the co-passengers due to space constraints. (IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK/REPRESENTATIVE)

A couple was forced to fly next to a corpse aboard a Venice-bound Qatar Airways flight after a passenger collapsed and died mid-air. Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin told Australian news outlet nine that deceased passenger collapsed near their row after exiting the lavatory. The flight crew attempted to revive the deceased, a female, but were unsuccessful.

As per the report, the body was placed in Ring and Colin’s row due to space constraints as the narrow aisle posed a challenge. The flight crew placed her body next to Ring and Colin for the remaining four hours of the flight. Ring described the experience as “heartbreaking" and “unsettling," expressing disbelief that they were asked to stay seated next to the deceased even after landing.

The couple told the news outlet that with vacant seats beside Ring, they asked him to shift and the body was placed in his previous seat.

“They looked a bit frustrated, then they just looked at me and saw seats were available beside me, my wife was on the other side, we were in a row of four. They said, ‘Can you move over please?’ and I just said, ‘Yes no problem’. Then they placed the lady in the chair I was in," Ring was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

Ring remained seated beside the body for about four hours. Upon landing, he was told to stay put while medical teams removed the body. Colin was later offered a different seat by a passenger.

Qatar Airways and Qantas, through which the couple booked their tickets, have acknowledged the incident and expressed condolences to the deceased’s family. While Qantas stated that in-flight incident management is the responsibility of the operating airline, Qatar Airways confirmed they are reaching out to affected passengers. The airline apologized for any inconvenience or distress caused in a statement released after the flight.

“First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight," the Qatar Airways statement said.

“We apologise for any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused, and are in the process of contacting passengers in line with our policies and procedures," it further added.

News world Couple Forced To Fly Sitting Next To Dead Body Of Flyer Who Died Mid-Air: Report