Paddy: I agree with you. This is absolutely atrocious, but you and I both know what it's like there so I am not surprised anymore.
Regarding the DAC evac: I was assisting in crewing the day that happened. (what a day that was!) Maybe I have misunderstood your post, but, as far as I am concerned, the crew (all SEP trained) did a fabulous job and evacuated the pax in 54 secs.
(By the way, that day is the ONLY time I caught a glimpse of compassionate side to the wee !!!!e... commonly known as AAB...he offered to dispatch and Amiri aircraft to bring the crew back to DOH!)
However, the fact still remains this is a huge safety issue and should be reported to the relevant authorities if true!
Cheers
HR