Angry passengers open Brazilian aircraft's emergency exits after air conditioning breaks down in 40C heat and temperature soars in cabin
- Flight from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo had to be cancelled after a revolt
- Video shot inside the cabin shows passengers fanning themselves
- TV report said a woman fainted and other splashed water on their faces
- One passenger described the temperature inside the cabin as a 'sauna'
View comments
Overheated passengers who were trapped on a plane without air conditioning were forced to open its emergency exits to get some fresh air in the stifling Brazilian summer heat.
The airline, Gol, decided to cancel the flight from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo due to the faulty air conditioning system, but 130 passengers were stranded inside for an hour while they waited to disembark.
The flight crew was preparing for take-off when a revolt by cabin crew and passengers forced them to return to the gate at Rio de Janeiro’s main international airport, according to reports.
Scroll down for video
Gol decided to cancel the flight from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo after a revolt by passengers
Passengers were forced to open the emergency exits in a desperate bid to escape the sweltering heat
The sweltering conditions inside the aircraft became so unbearable that the passengers opened the grounded plane’s emergency doors in a desperate bid for cooler air.
Video recorded by one of the passengers on Sunday was broadcast by the Globo television network, showing travellers fanning themselves as they struggled to cool down.
After they were finally allowed to escape the sweltering aircraft one passenger from flight 2047 told Globo that it felt like he was sitting inside a sauna.
A female passenger fainted and others splashed their faces with water to cool down, according to reports
Another told the TV station that passengers were frustrated and losing their tempers.
A female passenger fainted and others splashed their faces with water to cool down, according to the report.
Gol said in a statement the air conditioning units used on the ground were defective.
Passengers were trapped on the aircraft as Rio experiences a heat wave, with temperatures hitting 40C
The airline eventually moved the passengers onto another plane later in the day.
It said ‘no measures were spared to minimize the discomfort to passengers.’
Rio is experiencing a heat wave, with temperatures hitting 40C.
There have been several incidents recently where passengers have opened a plane’s emergency exit – mostly involving flights in China.
Last Thursday a man accused of being drunk attempted to open an emergency exit as a Hainan Airlines plane prepared to land.
Beijing’s Mirror newspaper said the man fought with cabin crew and other passengers before air marshals stopped him from opening the door on a flight from Changsha to Hohhot.
The fight erupted after he refused to fasten his seatbelt and attempted to leave his seat, according to reports.
He was detained by police when the plane landed.
Earlier this month, two passengers from a China Eastern Airlines flight were jailed after they opened a plane’s emergency doors while protesting a lengthy delay.
The plane was on the ground at the time and seven hours behind schedule before departing Chengdu for Beijing.
Read more| DailyMail on Facebook
