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Passengers strip on Air India Express flight as AC fails to work: ‘Unbearably hot’
An Air India Express flight from Delhi to Bhubaneswar suffered an AC failure, causing extreme discomfort for passengers.
Passengers on an Air India Express flight from Delhi to Bhubaneswar experienced “unbearable” heat after the air conditioning on the plane stopped working. Tusharkant Rout, a passenger on the flight, shared a LinkedIn post on the ordeal, claiming that one of the flyers experienced serious health issues due to the AC failure.
Rout also shared photographs that show passengers sitting without T-shirts and fanning themselves with magazines in a futile attempt at heat mitigation.
HT.com has reached out to Air India Express for a statement. This story will be updated when the airline responds.
“Serious and critical situation”
In his now-viral LinkedIn post, Rout said that Air India Express flight IX-1128 departed from Delhi on May 11 shortly before 4pm. However, the air conditioning on the plane stopped working mid-air, leading to extreme discomfort for the passengers.
“Passengers are faced unbearably hot in this flying, one of the passenger health is very serious [sic],” he wrote, suggesting one passenger’s health took a turn because of the heat.
He also claimed that many passengers raised complaints, but the situation remained unbearable for nearly two hours before the flight began its descent to land in Bhubaneswar.
His LinkedIn post included images that show at least one passenger sitting without his t-shirt. Many were photographed fanning themselves with magazines and drinking water.
Airline responds
Air India Express responded to the post in the comments section. The airline said that air conditioning may feel less effective during take-off, contrary to the passenger’s implication that the AC malfunctioned working mid-air.
“We’re sorry for the delay and any discomfort you experienced during your flight, Tusharkant. The cabin AC may feel less effective during boarding and taxiing due to open doors and limited power supply for operational reasons, but it becomes fully functional after takeoff. As you've completed your journey, we truly appreciate your feedback and remain committed to improving our services for a better experience next time,” Air India Express replied.
