Passengers on a Qatar Airways flight in Greece endured extreme conditions for over three hours after the plane’s air conditioning system broke down.
The malfunction left passengers in intense heat, making them use wet wipes and fan themselves to stay cool. Some passengers took off their clothes, and others fainted from the high temperatures.
Among the passengers were many athletes going to the IFMA World Muaythai Championships. They experienced great discomfort as the flight to Doha stayed on the runway in Athens with the doors closed and no working air conditioning.
Several videos appeared online showing the terrible conditions inside the plane. South African sports therapist Garth Collins posted footage on social media, describing the severe dehydration and fainting that happened.
“Passengers were literally dehydrating and passing out on the plane,” Collins said. He also criticized the airline’s poor response, noting that passengers received only a cup of water and a small soft drink, which wasn’t enough to help with their dehydration.
What did the Qatar Airlines video show?
One video showed fighter Damian Collins sweating heavily. Garth Collins remarked, “Damian is a fit, conditioned athlete; imagine the stress and danger for an average person.”
After enduring hours of discomfort, passengers were finally allowed to go back to the terminal building at Athens International Airport. However, their ordeal continued with long lines and little communication from the airline about the situation.
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Collins criticized Qatar Airways for handling the incident poorly, saying, “Qatar Airways is handling the situation with flight QR204 from Athens to Doha terribly. Passengers were stuck on the plane for 3.5 hours with the doors closed and no air conditioning.”
This recent incident follows a similar one earlier this month with Mavi Gok Airlines. About 200 German tourists were left in extreme heat on a runway at Antalya Airport in Turkey, where temperatures rose above 50 degrees Celsius.
The passengers were stuck on the plane for almost an hour, highlighting a recurring problem with inadequate responses to technical issues on flights.
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