Qatar Airways has defended the decision to leave a couple sitting next to a dead passenger on a 14-hour flight, saying that its crew “acted quickly, appropriately and professionally”. In a statement to the BBC, the airline said that an internal review found that the crew’s handling of the woman’s death was “in line with the training and industry standard practice.” It also stated that they have offered support and compensation to the family of the deceased and other passengers who were “directly affected” by the incident. “Passengers were accommodated to other seats, and a crew member was sitting at all times with the deceased passenger for the duration of the flight until landing in Doha,” Qatar Airways told the outlet.  “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 statement added.  The airline issued the statement after the couple told Australia’s Channel Nine that they …