Passengers on a Thomas Cook flight from Zante were forced to wait for three hours on a sweltering plane without air conditioning, resulting in vomiting and fainting.
Flight MH1805 was due to depart Zante for Stansted airport yesterday afternoon at 2pm.
Passengers were originally told that the plane needed to be refuelled, resulting in an initial delay to the service. When holidaymakers finally boarded, they were told to remain seated for three hours inside the scorching confines of the plane, which did not have functioning air conditioning, reports The Sun.
Those with children were particularly affected in the hot and cramped cabin.
The mercury continued to rise, resulting in passengers fainting and vomiting according to Kerry Shippey.
She tweeted: “Nobody minds a delay, things happen, but keeping people in a tin can in 40 degree heat so that people are passing out and throwing up is taking things a little far don’t you think?”
Another traveller told The Sun that people were having panic attacks as a consequence of the extreme temperatures.
When asked for an update on the status of their journey, passengers were apparently repeatedly told by cabin crew that the flight was due to take off in minutes.
The flight was finally cancelled and passengers were provided with accommodation described as “dirty and unhygienic” by Isabella Wright, a diabetic who said she had no clean space to administer essential injections. Wright also claimed to have nearly passed out due to the excessive heat and lack of food, branding passengers’ treatment as “a breach of human rights.”
While Thomas Cook maintained that refreshments were offered, a number of passengers insisted that this was not the case.
Passenger Jess Fenn tweeted: “No water or food was provided. A loud speaker message was made saying water was coming, but then when questioned the Thomas Cook rep told them this could no longer happen!”
After Thomas Cook tweeted that passengers had been removed from the flight and provided with refreshments, another traveller tweeted: “Thomas Cook we were given no refreshments – wrong information”.
A Thomas Cook Airlines spokesperson told The Independent: “Flight MT1805 from Zante to Stansted was delayed due to a technical issue with the on board air conditioning. We tried to fix the issue so that we could get customers on their way as soon as possible, but we recognise that we should have disembarked the aircraft earlier. We are very sorry for the discomfort our customers experienced.
“The flight departed Zante at 9am local time this morning and will arrive in Stansted at 11am. All customers will be given a letter of apology with detail on their entitlement to compensation.”
