Shocking video shows passengers stranded for THREE hours on a plane without aircon in Greece during blistering heatwave

Shocking video shows passengers trapped in an air-conditioned plane for three hours in Greece during the sweltering heatwave.

The video, taken four days ago during a Qatar Airways flight at Athens airport, shows sweaty and frustrated passengers cooling themselves while complaining about the heat.

A group of people can be seen gathered around a woman fanning her as she slumps in her chair and looks unwell.

One man felt so hot he took off his top, while others raged on the phone to friends and family about the unbearable heat on the plane or tried to call for help.

Qatar Airways has said the delay on its flight due to land in Doha, Qatar, was due to a ‘technical problem’.

The person who posted the video claims that passengers were “dehydrating and passing out on the plane” and were not “fed or hydrated.”

The woman was surrounded by fellow passengers who tried to help her cool down

Passengers appeared to use paper bags intended for motion sickness to fan the woman

They said Qatar Airways’ handling of the situation was “appalling at best” and even when they were finally allowed off the plane they had to wait in line with “no communication from the company.”

Another video shows hundreds of people waiting at airport check-in with their luggage, while only two staff members are visible at the counter.

The full caption read: ‘@qatarairways how about helping your stranded passengers of flight QR204 stranded in Athens?

“Your handling of the situation is appalling at best. Passengers remained on the plane for three and a half hours with closed doors and no air conditioning. Passengers were literally dehydrating and fainting on the plane.

“They were finally allowed off the plane and are now sitting in line without any communication from the company about the situation. Passengers have connecting flights from Doha that are not being made.

‘There is one person available at the check-in counter in Qatar who will assist one person at a time. Passengers are not given food or drinks.’

Another video shows hundreds of people waiting with their luggage at the airport for check-in

Despite the rush of waiting passengers, there were only two employees working behind the check-in desk

A Qatar Airways spokesperson said: “Qatar Airways sincerely apologizes for the delay of passengers traveling on flight QR204 from Athens (ATH) to Doha (DOH) on Monday, June 10, 2024, due to a technical issue.

‘As a result, all passengers were asked to leave the aircraft and were supported by our staff at Athens International Airport while ground maintenance teams worked to resolve the problem.

“The flight later departed from ATH and arrived DOH on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at 10:39 am local time, where we extended our full support to all affected passengers upon arrival to ensure smooth onward connections to their final destinations.

‘We consider the safety and comfort of our passengers and crew to be our top priority at all times and have apologized to any passenger affected by this unforeseen disruption and inconvenience caused. In addition, passengers have been informed of their right to compensation, in accordance with applicable regulations.”

A view of the Parthenon Temple while the archaeological site on Acropolis Hill is closed to visitors due to a heat wave that hit Athens on June 12

Tourists sit on the steps of the ancient Acropolis Hill during a hot day in Athens, Greece

Officials in Greece were forced to close the Acropolis of Athens during the hottest hours of Wednesday as the earliest ever heat wave swept the country, prompting school closures and health warnings as temperatures reached 43 degrees.

Meteorologists have noted that this is the earliest heatwave – with temperatures in Greece rising above 38 degrees Celsius for at least three days – ever recorded.

“This heat wave will go down in history,” meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos said on state television ERT. ‘In the 20th century we never had a heat wave before June 19. We have had several in the 21st century, but none before June 15,” he said.

The Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection has warned of a very high risk of fires in the Attica region around Athens.

A worker closes the exit door of the Acropolis archaeological site as it temporarily closes due to a heat wave hitting the country

A woman is helped outside the Acropolis archaeological site after feeling unwell

Members of the Greek Red Cross hand over bottles of water to tourists visiting the Acropolis

Schools remained closed in several regions of the country on Wednesday and Thursday, including in the capital, while the Ministry of Labor has advised public sector workers to work from home.

The ministry also ordered a break from noon to 5 p.m. for outdoor work, including food delivery.

The Greek Red Cross said it had distributed some 12,000 bottles of water in the center of the capital and on the Acropolis.

And in Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki, teachers and students said annual school exams were held under difficult conditions.