Aircon broken on Qatar journey, captain would not let them depart
PUBLISHED: 11 Jun 2024 at 14: 47
On a Qatar flight, passengers from the Thai Muay Thai group who were returning from the world finals had to endure three days without air conditioning while the helicopter waited on the tarmac at Athens airports.
Aircraft QR204 was carrying 49 people of the Thai boxing staff and accompanying Thai writers. They were departing from Athens International Airport to Bangkok via Doha on Monday from the IFMA Senior World Championships in Patras, Greece.
The commander did not allow people to keep the aircraft despite reporting to a Matichon writer on the journey that the air conditioning system was malfunctioning. They were kept on the aircraft for three days without aircon, the windows closed, and hardly knowing what was happening,  , Matichon Online reported.
The captain finally told the passengers that he was fixing the air conditioning system, but by that point it was like an pan inside the passenger cabin. Some travelers had nose breaks, others needed air, and some children were crying, he claimed because it was so popular.
Some adult passengers were seen using sheets of paper as followers while some were seen wearing bare legs and naked.
The writer claimed that only after protests and verbal exchanges between people and the house crew were they permitted to board the plane and waited on the tarmac.
Louise Morfis captured smoke coming from the back of the aircraft in a film that was taken from the tarmac.
The writer claimed that no one was ever given the facts about what actually happened.
” I was in surprise. However, I presently believe I was fortunate to escape the situation,” boxer Thannachai Sidsongpeenong was quoted as saying. ( continues below )
Smoking can be seen near the tails of Qatar Airways flight ,  , QR204 , at Athens International Airport on Monday. ( Photo: Screen capture from Matichon Online video taken by Louise Morfis )
The writer’s account was supported by a male posting on the X plaform as @chriszeiher.
” What is going on with the @qatarairways QR204 trip 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 passengers on the trip criticized the airline’s Facebook page by describing what was happening within. There is no AC in the aircraft, and you are not letting your customers leave because the helicopter is about 40 degrees on the inside. My child is having trouble breathing while taking this trip. Some of your customers are fainting”, one man posted on Twitter.
Qatar Airways has not responded.
QR204 was scheduled to leave Athens at 1.55pm and reach in Doha at 6.20pm. The plane’s departure was ultimately delayed for a moment. It departed the Grecian capital at 6.27am on Tuesday and reached Doha at 10.34am, according to the firm’s website.
Qatar Airways uses a Boeing 777- 300ER flight on the trip.