Ryanair passengers experienced extreme heat and a lack of air conditioning for over an hour on a delayed flight from Malta to Birmingham, UK, on Monday. According to one passenger, Eva Gregory, 16, the situation led to some individuals vomiting and fainting.
The flight, FR7268, was initially scheduled to depart at 5:40 a.m. Ryanair stated that the delay was due to a minor technical issue with the aircraft, which was subsequently compounded when a passenger became ill onboard. Gregory, traveling with her mother and brother, reported that passengers first endured a 30-minute wait inside a bus without air conditioning before boarding the plane.
Upon boarding the aircraft, Gregory noted that the air conditioning was not functioning, creating an intensely hot environment. Passengers were left waiting on the tarmac for over an hour under these conditions. "It was like walking into extreme heat," she recalled.
The oppressive heat caused distress among passengers, with some removing clothing. Gregory reported that "two people passed out" and others were sick. She also experienced nausea and a panic attack due to the heat. The situation was particularly concerning for elderly passengers who appeared distressed, according to Gregory.
Gregory stated that flight staff did not offer free water to passengers, even those experiencing medical issues. She acknowledged, however, that the crew members "did their best" in a difficult situation, with some attempting to prevent passengers from boarding until the issue was resolved.
The air conditioning reportedly began working after the plane took off. A Ryanair spokesperson confirmed that the flight departed Malta at 7:00 p.m. local time after engineers inspected the aircraft and cleared it for operation. The delay ultimately lasted approximately two hours from the original departure time.
Gregory expressed hope that sharing her experience would prompt Ryanair to address such issues and prioritize passenger comfort over cost. "Ryanair is disgusting," she wrote in a social media post accompanying a video of passengers fanning themselves in the sweltering cabin.