Airline SCAT has admitted that during flight Almaty - Astana on 1 June, an uncomfortable temperature may have been observed in one area of the passenger cabin, causing a feeling of stuffiness for some passengers. The carrier gave this response nearly three weeks after the FBRK editorial team's request, but did not disclose the reasons for what happened.
WHAT WAS ESTABLISHED
In early June, a passenger on flight DV-733 contacted the FBRK anonymous bot with a report of extreme heat in the aircraft cabin. According to him, the stuffiness was noticeable even before take-off, passengers were fanning themselves, the crew distributed water, and approximately 11 minutes after take-off, an announcement asked for a doctor to come forward.
We did not publish the message immediately, but first contacted the passenger, verified their account of events, and requested an official comment from the airline.
According to the author of the message, the temperature in the cabin felt like it exceeded 35 degrees, however, the editorial team has no objective data confirming such a temperature.
The source said they felt a flow of hot air from the bottom of the cabin and suggested the cause could be a malfunction of the air conditioning system. After contacting the crew, the aircraft commander announced the elevated temperature in the cabin and promised it would decrease after reaching cruising altitude - according to the passenger, this did not happen.
The passenger also reported that after landing, the senior flight attendant told them about three cases of medical assistance being provided during the flight. However, the source personally did not witness this, so the editorial team was unable to confirm this information.
The editorial team has in its possession the boarding pass and photographs taken in the aircraft cabin during the flight. In addition, the passenger stated that they submitted a complaint to the airline via the feedback form on the SCAT website, but according to them, had not received an official response at the time of the conversation.
WHAT SCAT SAID IN RESPONSE
The FBRK editorial team requested a comment from SCAT Airlines JSC on 12 June. The response arrived nearly three weeks later and consisted of just a few paragraphs. Despite the lengthy wait, the airline did not reveal the causes of the stuffiness, limiting itself to general statements.
The company stated that, based on the results of an investigation during the flight, "a less comfortable temperature may have been observed in one of the passenger cabin areas, which may have caused a feeling of stuffiness in some passengers."
At the same time, the carrier emphasised that the situation did not affect flight safety, the aircraft operated the flight within established operational standards, and after arrival, specialists from the engineering and aviation service carried out an additional inspection and performed the necessary work. According to the airline, no issues with the air conditioning and ventilation system were identified thereafter.
SCAT also apologised to passengers for the discomfort caused.
WHAT REMAINS UNKNOWN
Despite acknowledging the uncomfortable temperature, the airline did not disclose what exactly caused the stuffiness, what work was carried out after the aircraft landed, or whether any passenger requests for medical assistance were recorded. Therefore, the passenger's account of a possible air conditioning system malfunction and three cases of assistance remains unconfirmed.
SIMILAR COMPLAINTS HAVE ARISEN BEFORE
The story of flight DV-733 is not the first time SCAT passengers have publicly complained about extreme heat in the aircraft cabin.
In 2017, a situation on flight Almaty - Shymkent caused widespread public outcry, where passengers also reported stuffiness due to a non-functioning air conditioning system. At the time, people were fanning themselves with safety instructions, posting about it on social media, and the airline later apologised for the inconvenience caused.
In the current case, SCAT also admitted to an uncomfortable temperature on board and apologised to passengers. However, the causes of the stuffiness and the details of the work carried out after the flight were not disclosed in the airline's official response.
