An Australian couple has criticised Qatar Airways after being seated next to a deceased passenger for several hours on a long-haul flight from Melbourne to Doha.Mitchell Ring and his wife, Jennifer Colin, were en route to Venice when a fellow passenger passed away mid-flight. The flight crew attempted to move the deceased woman to business class but struggled due to her size. With no other options, they placed the blanket-covered body in a seat next to Ring, despite visible empty seats on the aircraft.Also read: Why Trump attacked Zelenskyy: Politics behind White House clash amid Russia-Ukraine war, Putin factor and more“They tried to wheel her up towards business class, but she was quite a large lady, and they couldn’t get her through the aisle,” Ring told Australian network Nine News. “They looked a bit frustrated, then they just looked at me and saw seats were available beside me.”Ring agreed to shift seats when requested but was shocked to remain next to the body for about four hours. Even after landing, he was made to sit beside the corpse until ambulance and police officers arrived.“The ambulance officers and the police came in, and the ambulance officers started pulling the blankets off the lady. It wasn’t nice,” Ring said.Colin, who admitted she was already an anxious flyer, said the airline should have had a better protocol in place.“There has to be a protocol that looks after the customers on board,” she said. Qatar Airways issued a statement offering condolences to the deceased passenger's family."Our thoughts are first and foremost with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight," a spokesperson told news.com.au. "We apologise for any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused and are currently reaching out to passengers in accordance with our policies and procedures."Also read: Manav Sharma suicide case: Sister claims deceased TCS employee was provoked, wife could have saved him (WATCH)