Trapped in an elevator: Qatar Airways crew causes chaotic flight delay from Birmingham to Doha
An unusual incident with the Qatar Airways staff at Birmingham Airport created considerable chaos among passengers. The passengers were set to fly to Doha in the morning and had gathered at their respective gates. However, the flight was unexpectedly delayed for several hours. The disruption was due to an elevator malfunction trapping the pilot and crew.
10:53 AM EST, January 3, 2024
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Flight crew endured three-hour elevator incarceration
Just before 1 a.m. ET, the departure board was flashing "last call" for flight QR36, but by 4:30 a.m. ET, this message was replaced with a "gate open" notification. The flight eventually took off, albeit, three hours behind schedule.
"Around midnight ET, airline crew members informed us they were stuck in one of our temporary elevators. As our elevator technician was unsuccessful in restoring the system, the West Midlands Fire Service partially dismantled the wall to free the crew. The extraction was completed just before 3:30 a.m. ET," – relayed an airport spokesperson to BirminghamLive.
Elevator malfunction leads passengers to miss connecting flights
The airport authorities offered their apologies to both passengers and crew members. Food vouchers were distributed to the waiting passengers as they were led to a waiting area. "The situation is chaotic, with passengers from all around the globe affected," – one passenger told the portal.
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Doha serves as a crucial hub for travellers bound for Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. This flight delay from the UK resulted in numerous disruptions, with many people missing their connecting flights.
