British Airways Passengers Stuck in 787 Without AC at Dubai in 47°C Heat

DUBAI- British Airways (BA) passengers encountered severe heat aboard a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner after a malfunction rendered the air conditioning inoperative during a prolonged two-hour delay on the tarmac.

This incident took place on May 24 when Flight BA104 from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to London Heathrow (LHR) experienced a failure in its Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), which is essential for cabin cooling prior to departure, as noted by PYOK.

Passengers boarded the flight on time, anticipating a seven-hour journey. However, once onboard, they quickly felt the rising temperatures due to the failure of the APU, which is crucial for cooling the aircraft while on the ground.

Normally, ground support equipment can replace a faulty APU, and once the engines are activated, the cooling systems should function again. However, the situation escalated when the aircraft pushed back from the gate and was forced to halt during taxiing due to a warning light in the cockpit.

As the gate was now occupied, the plane was rerouted to a remote cargo area where passengers were left to endure the suffocating heat.

Passenger Experiences

Passenger Jacqueline Stringer reported that the internal cabin temperature soared to 47°C (116.6°F). In an effort to cope with the heat, some children were reduced to wearing only diapers, and only a solitary cup of water was provided to each passenger.

Flight attendants reportedly had difficulty providing service under such oppressive conditions.

Stringer, who suffers from high blood pressure, described the ordeal as both physically taxing and psychologically distressing. She later sought opinions on a British Airways complaints forum, receiving a mix of sympathetic and dismissive responses.

British Airways publicly acknowledged the technical malfunction and confirmed that the aircraft returned to the terminal for maintenance before finally departing. While they expressed gratitude for the customers’ patience, there was no mention of compensation or an official apology.

Although APU failures and ground delays are not rare in aviation, the prolonged exposure to extreme heat presents serious health and safety risks. Experts assert that airlines should prioritize the well-being of passengers and crew, even if it leads to operational challenges or delays.

Challenges in Operations

Reboarding passengers after a ground delay poses significant logistical challenges that airlines often try to bypass.

However, when temperatures exceed safe limits, the justification for temporary evacuation becomes considerably stronger.

Cabin temperatures above 40°C can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and other serious health risks, particularly affecting children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing conditions.

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