WOMAN'S FINAL ACT BEFORE SHE DIED ON A QANTAS FLIGHT

• Woman, 24, died in her seat on Qantas flight from Melbourne
• The passenger next to her has now spoken out 
• READ MORE:  New details about woman's death on flight

A young woman who died in her plane seat as her flight prepared to take off from Melbourne spent her last moments looking at a photograph of her parents on her phone.

Aspiring chef Manpreet Kaur, 24, was flying back to Delhi in India on June 20 for a visit to see her parents for the first time in four years after relocating to Australia.

She suffered a medical episode as she was putting on her seatbelt, and the plane taxied back to the gate where cabin crew and paramedics unsuccessfully tried to revive her.

Her cousin and roommate in Melbourne, Kuldeep Kaur, told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Kaur's health had deteriorated in recent months as she unknowingly suffered from tuberculosis, and she was travelling back so her family could help her recover.

The post-mortem confirmation of the respiratory infection means her body cannot be transported out of the country, and her family are in the process of arranging travel to Australia to farewell her.

The passenger seated next to Ms Kaur has now spoken out, describing the minutes between boarding the plane and her medical episode in the hope it will bring the family some solace.

'It is very difficult to digest that a young girl with whom you were just interacting with has passed away in front of your eyes,' retired army officer Ravinder Singh told news.com.au on Thursday.

'Her innocent face still haunts me, and I want her parents to know she loved them a lot. She left this world peacefully looking at their photograph.'

Mr Singh said when he boarded the flight Ms Kaur was already seated in the aisle and he asked her politely to stand so he could get to his seat by the window.

Shortly after, he said the young woman began looking through photographs on her phone but stopped at one of an elderly couple.

He asked if they were her parents, and she said they were.

The plane then taxied towards the runway and Ms Kaur put her phone down, put on her seatbelt and rested her head on the seat in front of her.

Mr Singh said he wanted to tell the young woman to be careful of bumping her head during take-off but felt it wasn't his place.

However, when the plane jerked as it neared the runway, he realised something was wrong when Mr Kaur slumped over towards the centre seat.

He got the attention of the cabin crew, who checked her pulse and immediately turned the plane around.

Mr Singh said he was impressed by the cabin crew who he said acted professionally in a difficult situation. 

Ms Kaur's family are in the process of applying for visas so they can fly to Australia and attend Ms Kaur's funeral. 

A friend of Ms Kaur, Gurdip Grewal, said the family were 'devastated ... (and) experiencing a mix of shock, grief, and disbelief'.

'It's been a very tough time for everyone,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 

Ms Kaur had been studying to become a chef since moving to Australia, but was working at Australia Post in the month leading up to her death.

Her cousin said he 'couldn't believe it' when she received a knock on the door from a police officer to tell him of his 'honest and kind' cousin's death.

'I drove her to the airport that morning and she said, ''I will come back'',' Kuldeep said.

Ms Kaur had booked a return flight to Australia on July 25 expecting to have recovered from her illness.

A GoFundMe launched by Mr Grewal to support the Kaur family has raised more than $41,000 in just over a week.

'Our dear friend Manpreet left us too soon, leaving a void in our lives that can never be filled,' the fundraising page reads.

'As we grieve her passing, we want to come together to honour her memory and support her family in their time of need.'   

A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones'.

Victoria Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

The airline was made aware of the Ms Kaur's tuberculosis diagnosis on Monday and contacted the National Incident Centre Operations for further information.

Victoria's Department of Health said it had begun limited contact tracing the following day, and anyone identified as a potential risk would be notified.

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