"Torture": Passengers struggle to breathe after AC malfunctions on Thai Airways plane

In a shocking incident, passengers on Thai Airways flight TG 917 flight suffered panic attacks and struggled to breathe when the plane was halted for two hours after the air condition system malfunctioned, as per a report in the New York Post. The incident took place on July 25 on a Boeing 777. The flight from London to Bangkok was later cancelled entirely.

Due to this, passengers were stuck inside the plane in heat while crew members monitored the situation and attempted to fix it. "People were stuck on the plane and couldn't leave. We were hot and couldn't breathe. At least in a sauna, you can leave when you want," said Warawalan Maksaen, 26, a student at the University of Exeter.

She added, "This was like a form of torture."

According to another passenger, the temperature was so high that passengers began sweating heavily and one even experienced a panic attack. Ms Maksaen claims that throughout this time, neither food nor water was given, which made the situation worse. Two hours later, a flight attendant opened the door to allow in fresh air and provided water in the kitchen area.

However, because of the airport's curfew, no technicians were accessible, and the passengers were forced to disembark at 11 pm after being forced to spend several hours inside the sweltering hot aircraft.

The flight was rescheduled for the next day and passengers were given two options for their accommodation. "We could either sleep in the airport until the rescheduled flight or take a bus to find a hotel. Myself and a lot of the other passengers went to the bus station to wait for transportation to a hotel," the 26-year-old added.

"There was no help from the airline, and the last group of passengers waited aimlessly until the last three buses arrived at 2 am," she told the outlet.

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Adding to the horrifying experience, the hotel provided by the airline only had eight rooms available. As families were prioritised, solo travellers like Ms Maksaen were left to sort their lodgings on their own.

Further, the plane's engine did not start when the passengers boarded the flight again the following day at 3:45 pm, forcing them to wait inside the aircraft before disembarking once again. At 6:49 pm, the passengers were eventually permitted to get on the aircraft. "I was so disappointed by Thai Airways. Their service was appalling, and I sent a complaint email after the incident. I have received a compensation offer, either as cash or a discount voucher for my next flight, which I chose as cash because I do not want to fly with this airline again," Ms Maksaen concluded.