Qatar Airways passengers endure sweltering delay in Athens
Passengers of the Qatar Airways flight, which was supposed to depart from the Athens airport, had a harrowing experience. They spent over three hours in the heat without air conditioning and were told to return to the airport.
The situation occurred on Monday, June 10, at the international airport in Athens. Among those trapped in the overheated Qatar Airways plane were nearly 50 competitors returning from the IFMA World Championships in Muay Thai (Thai boxing).
It was as hot as a sauna on the plane
The fully loaded plane was on the tarmac for over three hours, and the air temperature inside exceeded 38°C. Later, travellers were allowed to return to the airport. The delay in departure was reportedly due to visible smoke coming from under the plane’s cover.
"Passengers were literally dehydrating and passing out on the plane," said passenger Garth Collins to the Jam Press news agency.
Numerous videos appeared online showing overheated and tired travellers fanning themselves with various objects, attempting to get some cool air. Some were soaked with sweat as if they had been in a sauna session. One traveller even took off his shirt, and drops of sweat could be seen on his body.
The plane reached the destination airport the next day
When travellers were finally released from the plane, only one person at the Qatar Airways check-in desk could help those affected by the problematic situation. They were only given a cup of water and a small non-alcoholic drink.
"It was completely insufficient to rehydrate an individual after the enforced sauna on the plane," said Collins.
The plane finally reached the destination airport in Doha around 3:30 AM Eastern Time on Tuesday. It was supposed to land at 11:20 AM the previous day.
