Passengers on a Bluebird Airways flight to Crete were left trapped inside a hot aircraft for nearly two hours Tuesday, with no air conditioning as temperatures inside the cabin continued to rise.
According to testimony from one of the passengers, the flight was initially delayed by 10 minutes after everyone had boarded and taken their seats. However, the delay continued to 15 minutes, 30 minutes and eventually 40 minutes, while the aircraft remained without adequate ventilation.
"Children were sweating and turning red, we were sweating too," the passenger said. "There was chaos on the plane. Children were screaming and crying."
Kan reports that the passengers were told that the aircraft needed to remain ready for departure because of its designated takeoff slot. During the busy summer season, when the number of flights increases significantly, losing a slot can result in an aircraft being pushed further back in the departure queue and facing a lengthy additional delay.
Aviation officials explained that crews must balance the need to remain ready for departure against the passengers' comfort and safety. Opening the aircraft doors can mean losing the departure slot, while moving the aircraft to another location may also affect its readiness.
After approximately one hour and 40 minutes, passengers began demanding that the doors be opened. According to the testimony, the situation had become intolerable, with passengers banging on the cockpit door and demanding that something be done.
Eventually, the rear door was opened, prompting passengers and children to move toward the back of the aircraft in an attempt to get some relief from the heat. When assistance did not arrive quickly, passengers began contacting police.
"We felt that if we didn't do something drastic, the children here would die," the passenger said.
Multiple passengers called the police emergency line, and operators reportedly contacted the Ben Gurion Airport control tower to check the situation and request that the matter be expedited. The passengers said that only after roughly two hours did the aircraft finally receive clearance to proceed.
Bluebird Airways explained that there are situations in which passengers are already on board and the aircraft is ready for takeoff, but delays at the airport can require passengers and crew to wait for clearance from aviation authorities. The airline said such clearance can sometimes be granted at short notice, making it important for the aircraft and passengers to remain ready to depart as soon as authorization is received.