Passengers suffer hours of stifling heat on Qatar aircraft

QATAR AIRBUS A380-861 A7-API (MSN 235)

Passengers on Qatar flight QR204, including the Thai Muay Thai team returning from the world championships, endured three hours without air conditioning while the plane was grounded at Athens airport. The flight, carrying 49 members of the Thai boxing team and Thai reporters, was scheduled to return from the IFMA Senior World Championships in Patras, Greece, to Bangkok via Doha. 

According to a reporter on board, the air conditioning system failed, but the captain refused to let passengers disembark. Trapped inside for over three hours, the cabin became unbearably hot, causing some passengers to suffer nosebleeds, others to require oxygen, and children to cry. Footage shared on social media revealed passengers fanning themselves with paper and some men removing their shirts due to the heat. It was only after vocal protests and disputes with the cabin crew that passengers were permitted to exit onto the tarmac, where a video captured by Louise Morfis showed smoke emanating from the plane's rear. 

The incident left passengers uninformed about the actual cause of the delay. Boxer Thannachai Sidsongpeenong expressed his shock but felt fortunate to have survived the ordeal. He later questioned the airline's handling of the situation on social media, highlighting the lack of air conditioning and the initial boarding despite visible smoke. Other passengers vented their frustration on the airline's Facebook page, detailing the stifling conditions on board.