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"4-Hour Flight Beside the Deceased Was a Nightmare"…What Happened to the Australian Couple Heading to Italy?

Emergency Medical Incident Onboard Ends in Passenger's Death
Airline Contacts Passengers Only After Controversy Erupts

A story has emerged about a passenger couple who had to endure a nightmare flight sitting next to a corpse on an international flight. On the 24th (local time), foreign media such as BBC and NBC News reported that Mitchell Ling and Jennifer Collin, a couple, had to sit next to a corpse for four hours on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne International Airport in Australia, via Doha, Qatar, to Venice, Italy.

"4-Hour Flight Beside the Deceased Was a Nightmare"…What Happened to the Australian Couple Heading to Italy? A story has emerged about a passenger couple who had to endure a nightmare flight sitting next to a corpse on an international flight. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

According to the report, a passenger died during the flight. A passenger who was using the restroom suddenly collapsed near the couple and passed away on the spot. Flight attendants performed CPR, but it was already too late. The crew tried to move the passenger to a business class seat, but that was not possible either. At that time, the flight attendants noticed that the seat next to the couple was empty, so they seated the corpse there and covered it with a blanket.


Despite there being empty seats throughout the cabin, the couple was not offered other seats. They remained next to the corpse for the entire four-hour flight until they reached their destination. The couple expressed disappointment with the crew’s handling of the situation. Although there were other empty seats on the plane, the crew did not suggest that the couple move before seating the corpse next to them.

"4-Hour Flight Beside the Deceased Was a Nightmare"…What Happened to the Australian Couple Heading to Italy? The couple, Mitchell Ling and Jennifer Collin, who endured a nightmare flight for four hours with the corpse at that time. 9now

Mitchell said, "Unfortunately, watching the woman who collapsed not come back to life was heartbreaking," and explained, "The flight attendants saw the empty seat and asked if we could move a little, and we said 'no problem,' but then they seated the corpse there." His wife, Collin, also pointed out in a media interview that the situation would remain a "trauma," saying, "I fully understand that the airline cannot be held responsible for the unfortunate death of the woman, but there should be protocols to care for the passengers on board." Even after the plane landed and medical personnel came to transport the corpse, the couple had to remain in their seats. The couple received no support or compensation from the airline either during or after the flight.


As controversy grew, Qatar Airways stated that they are contacting the affected passengers according to their policies and procedures. Meanwhile, according to the International Air Transport Association regulations, if a death occurs during a flight, the corpse should be moved to an empty row seat and covered with a blanket. If the flight is fully booked, the corpse should be moved to the deceased passenger’s seat.


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