An airline traveler has spoken of his shock after cabin staff sat him next to the body of a fellow passenger who had died during the flight.

Qatar Airways is now responding after passengers claim they were forced to sit next to a dead body for four hours on flight from Melbourne, Australia to Doha, Qatar.

An Australian couple's story went viral this week after they said crew members placed a dead body in the seats next to them.

Qatar Airways had apologised in a previous statement for "any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused". The incident sparked debate over procedures on dealing with deaths aboard planes.

Qatar Airways said its crew handled the body of a woman who died during a flight from Melbourne to Doha in a professional manner, after a couple said they were forced to sit next to the body. The passenger collapsed in the aisle next to Australian passengers Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin's row after going to the toilet,

The passengers previously spoke out after being told they couldn't move seats and instead had to sit next to a deceased fellow passenger on their flight