‘A form of torture’: Thai Airways passengers trapped on ‘sauna’ flight for two-hours that never took off

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Passengers onboard a Thai Airways flight from London to Thailand claim they were trapped on the tarmac, sweating and suffering panic attacks for two hours before the faulty flight was cancelled.

Flight TG917, bound for Bangkok from Heathrow Airport, was scheduled to depart at 9.25pm on 25 July when the air-conditioning system reportedly malfunctioned.

A University of Exeter student onboard told the New York Post, “we were hot and couldn’t breathe”, and added that conditions on the plane were “like a form of torture”.

According to the student, no food or water was provided during the two hours distressed passengers endured the “sauna”.

Due to night curfews at the London aviation hub between 11pm and 6am, no technicians were available to fix the air conditioning problem, and all passengers and crew deplaned the aircraft at 11pm.

The flight to Thailand was rescheduled to depart the next day, with passengers sleeping in the airport or taking public transport to find hotels overnight.

At 3.45pm the next day, the delayed journey was again disembarked and failed to take off for three hours due to engine issues with the Boeing 777 aircraft.

An onboard passenger said she was “so disappointed” by Thai Airways for how the airline handled the situation.

The Independent has contacted Thai Airways and Heathrow Airport for comment.

It’s not the first time things have heated up in the cabin.

Last June, Jet2 passengers complained of being kept on a hot plane that was like a “greenhouse” during a “nightmare” experience that left children in tears.

The flight was due to leave Tenerife for Manchester at around 4.30pm, but the passengers were stuck in the sweltering heat while the plane remained sitting on the tarmac for almost two hours.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast.