A routine departure from Dubai turned into a harrowing ordeal for British Airways passengers after a critical air conditioning failure left them trapped in extreme heat for nearly two hours inside a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
The incident, which unfolded on May 24 at Dubai International Airport, has raised urgent questions about airline protocols and passenger safety during ground delays in extreme weather.
Flight BA104 was scheduled for a seven-hour journey to London Heathrow when a malfunction in the aircraft's Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) disabled the onboard cooling system just before takeoff.
The APU is crucial for providing power and air conditioning while the plane is on the ground. Ordinarily, ground equipment can substitute for a faulty APU, and once the engines are running, cooling resumes. But on this day, events spiraled quickly.
After boarding, passengers were met with rising cabin temperatures as the aircraft pushed back from the gate. A cockpit warning light forced the plane to stop taxiing, but with the original gate already occupied by another aircraft, the Dreamliner was diverted to a remote cargo area.
There, passengers remained sealed inside as the mercury soared to 47°C (116.6°F), matching the record-breaking temperatures outside.
Accounts from inside the cabin paint a picture of mounting distress. Parents stripped children down to diapers in a desperate attempt to keep them cool. Elderly travelers and those with health conditions, like high blood pressure, became visibly unwell.
Flight attendants, themselves struggling in the oppressive heat, managed to distribute only a single cup of water per passenger. Requests for more water were reportedly declined out of concern for the crew’s own well-being.
“We baked inside the plane for two hours as engineers worked on the flight deck,” recalled passenger Jacqueline Stringer, who described the experience as both physically and emotionally exhausting. “Babies were having to be stripped to their nappies to try and cool them down”.
British Airways acknowledged the technical issue in a public statement, confirming that the aircraft was eventually towed back for maintenance before departing later that day. The airline thanked customers for their patience but offered no indication of compensation or a formal apology.
While APU failures and ground delays are not uncommon in aviation, experts note that extended exposure to such extreme heat poses significant health risks, including dehydration and heat exhaustion—especially for children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions.
The incident has reignited debate about whether airlines should prioritize passenger well-being over operational convenience, even if it means the complex task of deplaning and reboarding under such circumstances.
As temperatures in the Gulf continue to reach new highs, this incident has spotlighted a vulnerability in modern air travel that may demand urgent industry-wide reform. For the passengers of BA104, the memory of that sweltering day on the Dubai tarmac is unlikely to fade soon.
“Sweat dripped, tempers flared, and the situation grew dangerous by the minute. Parents fanned their children. Elderly passengers became visibly distressed. The chaos inside contrasted sharply with the calm luxury that typically defines British Airways service.”
As the aviation industry faces more frequent extreme weather events, the challenge of keeping passengers safe and comfortable on the ground has never been clearer.
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