Thailand’s national Muay Thai team were among passengers left sweltering without air-conditioning on a delayed Qatar flight out of Greece. In appalling conditions, passengers were stuck on the aircraft for around 3 hours as the doors remained sealed.
Qatar QR204 was carrying 49 members of the country’s national Muay Thai team, who were bound for Bangkok via Doha. Also on board were other staffers and reporters returning from the 2024 IFMA Senior World Championships in Athens.
However, their departure was delayed for hours after the plane’s air-conditioning malfunctioned prior to takeoff. Passengers were not given a reason for the delay and were not allowed to disembark, according to the report. Some passengers have reported that there was even the threat of scuffles between passengers and crew as the temperature in the cabin continued to rise.
One passenger had enough and vented his fury on X…
“Board the flight after smoke is seen billowing from plane, leave everyone on the plane for 3 hrs, no air con in stifling heat only to (surprise) remove everyone as the plane is malfunctioning?”
PHOTO: Daily News
Passengers ended up stuck on the plane for 3 hours without any update from the airline, until the captain eventually agreed to let them disembark and wait on the tarmac.
There are reports of some passengers passing out and others suffering nosebleeds as a result of the extreme heat and poor air circulation. Others reportedly relied on oxygen masks to help them breathe.
Smoke had been seen coming from the back of the aircraft as it was waiting to take off, which led airport officials to put fire trucks on standby.
Thananchai Sitsongpeenong, one of the Thai boxers on board, says he only noticed the smoke once he’d got off the aircraft, adding that he and his fellow passengers felt like they were melting as a result of the intense temperature on board.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
