In a distressing incident on 10 June 2024, passengers aboard Qatar Airways flight QR204 from Athens to Doha endured excruciating heat after the plane was grounded for over three (03) hours due to a “technical issue.” Amid a heatwave that saw temperatures in Greece soar to 43˚C, the plane’s air-conditioning system failed, transforming the cabin into what passengers likened to a “sauna.”
Passengers, including 49 members of Thailand’s national Muay Thai team, were subjected to unbearable conditions with some resorting to stripping off their clothes in an attempt to cool down. Others fainted, experienced nosebleeds, or relied on oxygen masks to breathe as the heat intensified. The Bangkok Post reported that the situation was compounded by the lack of communication from the airline, leaving passengers in the dark about the cause of the delay and unable to disembark.
Sports therapist Garth Collins shared footage of the ordeal on Instagram, describing it as an “enforced sauna.” His post read, “How about helping your stranded passengers from flight QR204 that are stranded in Athens? Your handling of the situation is atrocious at best. Passengers were left stranded on the plane for three-and-a-half hours with doors closed and no aircon. Passengers were literally dehydrating and passing out on the plane.”
Collins’ post quickly gained traction, highlighting the severity of the situation. Other social media footage showed sweat pouring down the backs and arms of passengers who had stripped off their clothes due to the intense heat.
The Nation, a Thai news site, reported that the tension escalated to the brink of a physical confrontation between passengers and the flight crew. It was only after the situation threatened to boil over that passengers were allowed to disembark. Thannachai Sidsongpeenong, one of the Thai boxers on board, expressed his relief at surviving the ordeal, stating that he and other passengers were “melting in sauna-like heat.”
Qatar Airways later addressed the incident, attributing the delay to a “technical issue.” A spokesperson told Business Insider, “Qatar Airways sincerely apologizes for the delay to passengers traveling on flight QR204 from Athens (ATH) to Doha (DOH) on Monday, Jun 10, 2024, which was due to a technical issue. We regard the safety and comfort of our passengers and crew as our highest priority at all times and have offered our apologies to each passenger affected by this unforeseen disruption and the inconvenience caused.”
The airline also informed passengers of their compensation entitlements in line with applicable regulations. According to Qatar Airways’ website, the flight’s departure was delayed by a day, and it finally arrived in Doha at 10:34 AM on Tuesday, 11 June 2024.
This incident occurred against the backdrop of a severe heatwave in Greece, which has been grappling with temperatures high enough to trigger wildfires and force the closure of schools and the iconic Acropolis tourist site. Greece, one of the most climate-impacted countries in Europe, has faced increasingly severe heatwaves and wildfires in recent years, exacerbating the challenges faced by residents and visitors alike.