Why was Australian couple forced to sit next to dead body on flight?

What happens when someone dies on a plane?

What if the person sitting next to you passes away mid-flight?

Picture being seated for at least four hours until landing. The experience can be uncomfortable, unsettling, and highly inconvenient.

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Or even traumatic, as it was for this Australian couple.

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, who were flying to Venice for a long-awaited holiday, said that a woman died in the aisle seat beside them during their journey from Melbourne to Doha.

Her body remained next to them for the remaining four hours of the flight, with no offer to relocate Ring, despite vacant seats being available.

What happened during the flight? And what are the procedures when someone dies on a plane? What rules must be followed?

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We will answer these questions.

How a couple was forced to sit near a corpse on flight

Mitchell and Jennifer were on a Qatar Airways flight when a woman collapsed in the aisle beside them and could not be revived.

The crew placed the deceased passenger’s body in Ring and Colin’s row, where it remained for the final four hours of the journey.

NEW: Australian couple recalls sitting next to a deceased woman for hours on a long-haul flight to Venice

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Venice

A woman collapsed in the aisle after going to the toilet

Despite efforts from the… pic.twitter.com/ubaZQSW6ja

— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) February 25, 2025

The couple described the incident as traumatic, saying it happened when the woman exited the bathroom and suddenly collapsed near their seats.

“Unfortunately the lady couldn’t be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch,” Ring told Channel Nine’s Current Affair programme.

They said the cabin crew covered the body in blankets and placed it next to Ring without offering to move him, despite vacant seats being available.

He explained that the crew attempted to move the body to business class, but “she was quite a large lady and they couldn’t get her through the aisle.”

Ring stated that the crew had seen empty seats next to him.

“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.”

While Colin was able to relocate to an available seat, Ring said he was not given the option to move, even though there were open seats.

When the plane landed four hours later, passengers were asked to remain seated while medical staff and police boarded. He recalled seeing ambulance officers remove the blankets covering the woman, revealing her face.

Colin described the experience as “traumatic” and said, “We totally understand that we can’t hold the airline responsible for the poor lady’s death, but there has to be a protocol to look after the customers on board.”

In a statement, Qatar Airways said, “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.”

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What happens when someone dies on a plane?

According to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) safety guidelines, if a deceased passenger can be moved, airlines are advised to place them in a seat with fewer passengers nearby.

If the flight is full, they may be returned to their original seat.

The guidelines also state that the body should be placed inside a body bag or covered with a blanket if a bag is unavailable.

While exact procedures differ between airlines, flight crews are generally trained to provide basic life support, notify the pilots, and seek help from medical professionals.

Heather Poole, a flight attendant, told HuffPost, “We have AEDs [automated external defibrillators] on board the planes to use if a passenger goes unconscious and stops breathing, and we’re all trained to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).”

“We’ll page for a medical professional to help us if we need them,” she added. “And if there’s not one on board, we can contact a physician on the ground.”

Notably, airlines rely on specialised services to receive guidance from medical professionals during in-flight emergencies. IATA guidelines recommend that crew members and any available medical personnel continue CPR until it becomes unsafe due to turbulence or landing conditions, the passenger is transferred to emergency services, or the person is presumed dead.

Dr Paulo Alves, global medical director of aviation health at MedAire, told HuffPost that a medical volunteer on board may also step in to assist and, in some cases, confirm if a passenger has died.

What are some of the rules that the crew needs to follow?

When a medical emergency occurs, the crew must inform the captain, who, in coordination with the airline’s operations centre, will decide whether to proceed to the scheduled destination or divert to another airport. This decision takes into account both logistical and humanitarian considerations.

There are specific protocols for handling the deceased with dignity while being mindful of their companions and other passengers.

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The crew typically covers the deceased passenger with a blanket. If space allows, nearby passengers may be moved to other seats. If an empty row is available, the body may be relocated there. Otherwise, the deceased remains in their original seat with the seatbelt fastened to prevent movement, Alves told HuffPost.

He added that the crew wears personal protective equipment to ensure hygiene and safety while handling the body.

For the remainder of the journey, the crew must also make arrangements for what will happen to the body upon arrival.

If a plane makes an emergency landing due to a medical situation, passengers are usually instructed to remain seated while medical personnel board to assist. However, the IATA advises the opposite when a passenger is presumed dead.

What happens after landing?

Once the plane has landed, medical examiners or local authorities take charge of the body and they are responsible for informing the family.

Airlines typically send a representative to visit the family in person, offering support and, in some cases, counselling. They may also assist in making travel arrangements for family members who need to fly to attend the funeral or other services.