Passengers on Qatar Airways were stranded on the tarmac in Athens for three and a half hours, without air conditioning on their way to Doha, causing some to pass out and others to suffer from dehydration, amid scorching temperatures in the Greek capital.
Athens airport authorities told CNN a sudden technical problem prevented the flight's departure. The airline, considered among the best in the world, apologized for the delay.
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Passengers onboard Qatar airways flight help woman suffering from heat
(Photo: Screenshot)
Passengers expressed amazement that they were not taken off the aircraft and into an air-conditioned building. Some removed their shirts to try to deal with the heat while the cabin crew attempted to alleviate some of their suffering by passing out cold water.
"The crew did their best under the circumstances," one passenger told news crews, "It appeared that they knew as little as we did."
In a separate incident, a passenger and one cabin crew member were both hurt, during an Air New Zealand flight from Wellington to Queensland, amid severe turbulence. The passenger suffered burns from hot coffee while the member of the crew was thrown up and hit her head on the ceiling. Both were taken to hospital for care.