Qatar Airways says crew handled passenger's midflight death ‘appropriately'
Qatar Airways said Friday that an internal review found its cabin crew had 'acted quickly, appropriately and professionally' in their handling of a deceased passenger whose body was placed next to an Australian couple for the remainder of the flight.
The couple told Australian media that they were forced to sit next to the woman's body after she collapsed and died last week about 10 hours into their 14-hour flight from Melbourne to Doha.
'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,' the airline said in a statement.
'After an internal review, it is clear that Qatar Airways cabin crew acted quickly, appropriately and professionally at all times in line with training and industry standard practice.'
The airline added that passengers were accommodated to other seats and that a crew member was sitting with the deceased passenger for the rest of the flight until it landed in Doha.
'We have been in direct contact with the family of the deceased as well as other passengers who were directly affected by this difficult situation and have offered emotional support and compensation,' it said.
The Australian couple, Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, who were heading to Venice on holiday, said that after placing the body next to them, the flight crew would not let them change seats for the rest of the flight and asked them to remain seated as medical staffers addressed the body upon landing.
The couple said they felt they had not received enough support from the airline.
'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 counseling,' Ring told the Australian news program 'A Current Affair' on Sunday.
Qatar Airways said Wednesday that it had spoken 'with the affected passengers to address their concerns.'
The airline said Friday that it deeply sympathized 'with all those involved in this sad situation, and our thoughts remain with the family members of the passenger who passed away on board our flight.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The sad, lonely death of a $22million Powerball winner: Josh spent his last $19 on a lotto ticket that should've been his happy ending. It brought one unthinkable tragedy after another
In 2017, Joshua Winslet was 22 and living paycheck to paycheck when he made a decision that would change his life forever. With the last $19 left in his bank account, the young Australian plumber bought a ticket for that week's $100million Powerball draw.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
People just finding out unusual way new babies are celebrated in Switzerland
It is always fun to celebrate when a loved one welcomes a baby and people are just realising a sweet way that people in Switzerland announce the news and name of a little one It is always exciting when one of our friends or family members welcomes a little one into the world. From baby showers to 'welcome to the world' parties, gifts, balloons, cards, and more there are plenty of ways that we celebrate the amazing news across the world. However, people are just realising the sweet way that babies in Switzerland are welcomed. It comes as recently, people travelling to Switzerland began to notice signs around the country with an animal or character on, a name and a date of birth - and wondering what it symbolises. An Australian woman, who has moved to Switzerland, has been sharing interesting insights she has discovered since moving. The mum, who as Aussie Spat Mum online, shared a video of the signs and said: "In Switzerland, when a baby is born, the whole village gets the news... literally!" She added: "Birth signs with the baby's name and date of birth pop up on buildings, balconies and front yards to welcome the newest little one!" The announcements are known as 'Geburtstafeln' which are essentially birth signs, typically displayed on a pole or tree. It is typically put up until family and friends come round to celebrate the new baby, and then it is taken down. Commenting on the Instagram post, one individual said: "Let me share how it's done in central Switzerland: you get them from friends, family, godparents or your "verein". After one year, the parents are supposed to take them down with a "Täfelifescht". This means you organize a BBQ or similar social gathering event where all the people are invited who got you a sign." One Swiss man added: "We use this as an open competition for the worst baby names." While another person said: "I need to experience this land of joy and happiness." Someone else said they also use the tradition in the Netherlands, while another added: "In Germany some people show it by hanging newborn clothes or a little wooden stork outside as well." On Reddit, another individual said: "I live in Nidwalden, close to Lucerne and they're so normal here that it's seen as odd when people don't do it. They're called 'Geburtstafeln', so literally 'birth signs'. They are hanged on the balcony when a child is born and they have the name of the child and its birth date written on them." Another wrote: "This is common in Switzerland especially in the German speaking part. They have this & later on the kids keep them." Someone else pointed out that they used to do this in the US more than they do now, but "police recommend against it because it puts your child at risk of abduction." On Facebook, Welcome Switzerland wrote: "In Switzerland, welcoming a newborn means more than just cards and social media posts! "Families proudly announce the arrival with cute front yard signs, especially in rural areas! Does your country have a unique way to celebrate new arrivals?" According to website Geburtstafeln Schweiz, these signs can be quite expensive, costing between £90 and £120 for one. Did you know this? Comment below...
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
Housemates of missing Australian teenager Pheobe Bishop charged with murder
The housemates of missing Australian teenager Pheobe Bishop have been charged with murder three weeks after she disappeared. James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, were on Thursday charged with one count each of murder and two counts each of interfering with a corpse, Queensland Police said. Ms Bishop, 17, was last seen on her way to Bundaberg airport in Queensland on 15 May. Police believe she was supposed to board a flight at 8.30am to Brisbane and then onto Perth to meet with her boyfriend, but CCTV footage showed she did not enter the terminal at the airport. In a statement, Queensland Police said that her body had not yet been located. Both Mr Wood and Ms Bromley will appear at Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday.
