Passengers on a Ryanair flight from Malta to Birmingham allegedly passed out and threw up after being left inside a cabin without air conditioning.
Flight FR7268 was scheduled to depart Malta International Airport for Birmingham Airport at 5.40pm on August 10, but did not take off until around 7pm local time.
Ryanair blamed the initial delay on a minor technical issue with the aircraft, stating that a passenger subsequently becoming ill on board caused further disruption before takeoff.
However, holidaymakers reported facing severe problems prior to boarding as they waited in extreme heat on transport buses and the airport tarmac.
Eva Gregory, 16, a passenger from Derby, claimed that she and her family spent around 30 minutes inside an airport bus without air conditioning before being moved to another vehicle.
She said the family remained on the second bus, which she described as having only limited air conditioning, for approximately another 30 minutes.
Ryanair disputed this account, stating that passengers were taken to the plane by bus and stayed in the vehicle for an extra ten minutes where air conditioning was available.
According to the holidaymaker from Derby, passengers had to wait on the tarmac in blazing heat for another 20 minutes before boarding.
Extreme heat inside cabin
When passengers finally entered the aircraft, Eva claimed that the cabin was still not air-conditioned, causing conditions inside to deteriorate rapidly.
She ended up experiencing nausea before having a panic attack as she watched the situation unfold around her.
"When we boarded, it was immediately obvious the air conditioning was not on," Eva told NeedToKnow. "It was like walking into extreme heat. We got on the plane but were sitting and waiting in the heat with no air conditioning at all for over an hour."
She added that the rising temperature led to widespread frustration among those on board. "All the passengers were extremely agitated and quite quickly became frustrated. People were taking their tops off because of the heat," she said.
Eva described seeing two fellow passengers lose consciousness as others became physically sick from the stifling conditions inside the aircraft.
"Two people passed out, although I'm not sure how many were throwing up," Eva said. "I was experiencing the feeling of needing to throw up, but as I have a phobia of being sick, it gave me a panic attack."
She further claimed that staff failed to provide free water during the incident. "They didn't even offer free bottles of water to anyone, even those experiencing medical emergencies," she said.
Dispute over boarding and service
According to Ryanair, the crew opened the onboard bars, allowing passengers to buy drinks and snacks if needed.
Eva noted that the airline's cabin crew attempted to stop passengers from boarding until the issue was resolved, but ground staff overruled them.
"The Ryanair cabin crew absolutely did their best. They were telling them not to let us onboard until the air conditioning was fixed," Eva said. "The other workers did not listen to the cabin crew and then the crew were the ones dealing with passengers' anger when it was not their fault."
The air conditioning allegedly began working gradually after the aircraft became airborne.
Footage shared online by Eva showed passengers standing in the cabin as crew appeared to attend to people on board. Text over the video alleged people were "passing out, throwing up, crying and having panic attacks."
Reflecting on the experience, Eva said: "The heat and witnessing medical emergencies made me feel uneasy. The whole situation makes me feel extremely angry."
Background and airline statement
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline operating short-haul flights across Europe, connecting Mediterranean destinations such as Malta to United Kingdom airports including Birmingham Airport. Derby, where Eva resides, is a city in the East Midlands region of England.
A Ryanair spokesman told the Daily Mail: "This flight from Malta to Birmingham (10 Aug) was delayed prior to departure due to a minor technical issue with the aircraft and subsequently became delayed after a passenger became ill onboard."
The spokesman added: "Following an inspection of the aircraft by engineers, the aircraft was cleared to operate, and this flight departed Malta at 7pm local."
