Passengers suffer hours of stifling heat as takeoff delayed
Aircon broken on Qatar flight, captain would not let them leave
June 11, 2024
Members of the Thai Muay Thai team returning from the world championships were among passengers on a Qatar flight who endured three hours without airconditioning while the plane waited on the tarmac at Athens airport.
Flight QR204 was carrying 49 members of the Thai boxing team and accompanying Thai reporters. They were heading home on Monday from the IFMA Senior World Championships in Patras, Greece, flying out of Athens International Airport to Bangkok via Doha.
A Matichon reporter on the flight said the air conditioning system was out of order but the captain did not allow passengers to leave the aircraft. They were kept on the plane for three hours without aircon, the doors closed, and not knowing what was happening, Matichon Online reported.
The captain eventually informed the passengers he was fixing the aircon system, but by then it was like an oven inside the passenger cabin. It was so hot that some travellers had nose bleeds, others needed oxygen and children were crying, he said.
A video posted online by Matichon showed some male passengers shirtless, bare to the waist, and other passengers using sheets of paper as fans.
The reporter said that only after passengers protested loudly and argued with the cabin crew were they allowed to get off the plane and wait on the tarmac.
A video taken from the tarmac by Louise Morfis showed smoke coming from the rear of the plane.
The reporter said passengers were never informed about what really occurred.
"I was in shock. But now I feel that I was lucky to get through the situation," boxer Thannachai Sidsongpeenong was quoited as saying.
The reporter's account was supported by a man posting on the X plaform as @chriszeiher.
"What is going on with the @qatarairways QR204 flight out of Athens? Board the flight after smoke is seen billowing from plane, leave everyone on the plane for 3 hrs, no air con is stifling heat only to (surprise) remove everyone as the plane is malfunctioning? @SkyNewsAus," he wrote.
Other travellers on the flight directed their anger at the airline's Facebook account with descriptions of what was going on inside. "There is no AC in the plane and you are not letting your passengers off the plane which is almost 40 degrees on the plane. My daughter is on this flight and she can't even breathe properly. Some of your passengers are fainting," one person posted on Facebook.
There has been no response from Qatar Airways.
QR204 was scheduled to leave Athens at 1.55pm and arrive in Doha at 6.20pm. The flight's departure was finally delayed for a day. It departed the Greek capital at 6.27am on Tuesday and reached Doha at 10.34am, according to the airline's website.
Qatar Airways uses a Boeing 777-300ER jet on the flight.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ff-delayed
Cancel my trip to Doha
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Gaybutton
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Re: Cancel my trip to Doha
Going to Thailand, my first choice is to fly direct from London.
My second choice is an indirect flight that changes in Europe.
Going via the middle East is very much a third choice.
If going via the middle East, I'm likely to end up walking around some enormous airport in the middle of the night, when I'd rather be on a plane sleeping, or attempting to sleep.
Plus other reasons for preferring a direct flight.
As for Qatar Airlines, I'd like to know what the hell the pilot was thinking of keeping people on board at those temperatures. He should be fired.
My second choice is an indirect flight that changes in Europe.
Going via the middle East is very much a third choice.
If going via the middle East, I'm likely to end up walking around some enormous airport in the middle of the night, when I'd rather be on a plane sleeping, or attempting to sleep.
Plus other reasons for preferring a direct flight.
As for Qatar Airlines, I'd like to know what the hell the pilot was thinking of keeping people on board at those temperatures. He should be fired.
-
Gaybutton
- Posts: 23444
- Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
- Location: Thailand
- Has thanked: 3 times
- Been thanked: 1550 times
Re: Cancel my trip to Doha
I was on a bus from Suvarnabhumi to Jomtien a couple of years ago that suffered aircon failure.
This was during the cool season, so I hadn't even noticed until the bus pulled over and stopped.
Then without airflow, the inside of the bus started swiftly warming up.
He kept us all on board, until I queried why we were stopped and then insisted he let us off.
After being released, I think I was the only passenger who stepped over the crash barrier, despite loads of space on the safe side of it.
About half an hour later, another bus arrived and we continued to Jomtien.
I suspect it may have been tolerable with the original bus, had he just kept going with the ventilation fans on max.
This was during the cool season, so I hadn't even noticed until the bus pulled over and stopped.
Then without airflow, the inside of the bus started swiftly warming up.
He kept us all on board, until I queried why we were stopped and then insisted he let us off.
After being released, I think I was the only passenger who stepped over the crash barrier, despite loads of space on the safe side of it.
About half an hour later, another bus arrived and we continued to Jomtien.
I suspect it may have been tolerable with the original bus, had he just kept going with the ventilation fans on max.