Following the couple’s admission to Australia’s Channel Nine that the Melbourne to Doha flight had traumatized them, the airline released the statement.
The staff of Qatar Airways “acted quickly, appropriately, and professionally” in their decision to leave a couple seated close to a deceased customer on a 14-hour flight. After conducting an internal inquiry, the airline told the BBC that the crew’s response to the woman’s death was “in line with the training and industry standard practice.” Additionally, it said that the family of the deceased as well as other passengers who were “directly affected” by the incident had been offered support and compensation.
A crew member sat with the deceased passenger the whole trip until it landed in Doha, and other passengers were moved to other seats,” Qatar Airways told the outlet.
“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,” said the statement.
Following the couple’s admission to Australia’s Channel Nine that the Melbourne to Doha flight had traumatized them, the airline released the statement. According to Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, for the final four hours of a fourteen-hour flight, the cabin crew had the deceased woman lying next to Mr. Ring, wrapped in blankets.
The airline requested him to move over and then put the woman in the seat he was in, Mr. Ring recalled in an interview with the publication. He claimed that although there were empty seats nearby, the plane’s personnel did not offer to shift him to another seat when another traveler asked his wife to sit across the aisle from her.
“We totally understand that we can’t hold the airline responsible for the poor lady’s death, but surely after that there has to be a protocol to look after the customers on board,” added Ms Colin.
He also informed the site that once the jet touched down, passengers were instructed to remain motionless until police and medical personnel arrived. Then, he remembered, ambulance personnel began removing the woman’s blankets, revealing her face. He remarked, “I can’t believe they told us to stay,” adding that he had assumed they would have let the passengers to depart before the arrival of the medical personnel.
They have a responsibility to both their employees and their clients. We ought to get in touch with you to find out if you require any assistance or counseling. Mr. Ring went on to say that he was angry at the airline for not providing more assistance.
In a prior statement, Qatar Airways expressed regret for “any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused”. “First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight,” added the statement.
