Qatar Airways passengers ‘pass out’ on runway in Athens after Boeing plane’s cooling fails

Dozens of passengers were filmed struggling with the heat when their flight was stuck on the runway.

Qatar Airways flight 204 was delayed in Athens, Greece on Monday, when temperatures reached 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).

Those on board included athletes returning home from a Muay Thai competition in the Greek capital.

A reporter from the Thai newspaper Matichon, who said they were on the Boeing 777, reported that the air conditioning malfunctioned.

Over the next three hours, passengers began sweating and taking off their clothes, the report added.

A sports therapist shared videos of the turmoil on Instagram, showing uncomfortable passengers fanning themselves to cool down.

“Passengers were literally dehydrating and passing out on the plane,” he wrote. “Damian [a man featured in one of the videos] is a fit, conditioned athlete, imagine the stress and danger for any normal individual.”