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By Sophie Clark
Live News Reporter
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A couple had their dream holiday ruined after being forced to sit next to a dead passenger on board a plane for four hours.
Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha when a passenger suddenly collapsed in the aisle, and despite "heartbreaking" attempts to save her life, she died on the plane.
Flight attendants, who were unable to move the deceased passenger to Business Class, then placed her in a seat next to Ring and Colin, who were told to stay in their seats for the duration of the flight, per reporting from A Current Affair.
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Newsweek has contacted Qatar Airways for comment via email.
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Why It Matters
The incident comes as public scrutiny about air travel grows in the U.S. following a string of deadly plane crashes in 2025 and President Donald Trump's sweeping cuts to government agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration.
While the Qatar Airways flight wasn't anywhere near the Western nation, February is one of the peak holiday travel months for the southern hemisphere, and the northern hemisphere's holiday travel is coming up in the summer, meaning all eyes are seemingly on the skies as holiday-goers worldwide make plans for 2025.
What To Know
When Ring and Colin boarded the plane, they thought they had lucked out, because there were two empty seats in their row of four.
However, this turned out to work against them in the final four hours of the 14-hour flight, as the spare seats were enough space to put a deceased passenger.
Ring explained to A Current Affair that when the woman initially collapsed in the aisle right beside him, the flight attendants did a "wonderful job trying to revive her," and that their attempts to save her life were "pretty heartbreaking to watch."
However, when flight attendants were unable to move the deceased woman into Business Class as she was "quite a large lady and they couldn't get her through the aisle," they told Ring to move over a seat and placed her into the seat beside him.
A passenger behind the couple offered Colin a spare seat beside them as she is a nervous flyer, but even though the couple could see other empty seats around them, Ring said he was told to stay put.
A spokesperson for Qatar Airways told A Current Affair that the procedure for handling a dead body on a plane is up to the operating airline. So, in this case, the flight attendants likely followed Qatar Airlines protocol.
Ring and Colin were on this flight as part of a longer trip to Venice. They had originally booked the flight through Qantas but were placed on a Qatar Airways flight, as they are part of the One World Alliance.
The couple told A Current Affair that Qatar Airways had not reached out to them yet to offer an apology or to explain why they could not move to different seats during the flight. Qantas has said they are planning to speak with the couple.
There is no information available at the moment on the woman who passed away on the plane.
Following their interview, a spokesperson for Qatar Airways said they were in the process of looking into the incident.
What People Are Saying
Mitchell Ring on A Current Affair: "I can't believe they told us to stay ... it wasn't nice...They have a duty of care towards their customers as well as their staff, we should be contacted to make sure, do you need some support, do you need some counselling."
A Qatar Airways spokesperson told Newsweek: "First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight. 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."
What Happens Next
Qatar Airways has said they will reach out to Ring and Colin about their experiences. Ring expressed that he would just like for the airline to reach out and ask if they are alright. In the meantime, he and Colin are doing their best to enjoy their Italian holiday.
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