The U.S. Department of Transportation said Thursday it was investigating why passengers were left drowsy in triple-digit temperatures for hours while waiting on the tarmac at Las Vegas Airport on Monday.
Flight DL555 to Atlanta, which was due to take off from Harry Reed International Airport on Monday, sat on the tarmac, the extreme heat making passengers sick and some fainting, according to reports posted on social media by passengers.
The ordeal lasted nearly three hours, and paramedics boarded the plane, feeling unwell, and passenger and Fox News producer Christa Garvin, wrote on twitter.
“I was told to press the call button if I needed medical assistance,” she said. “Baby cries. They’re handing out sandwiches to diabetics.”
She later added: “I am just in shock.”
A video posted by Garvin appears to show the captain announcing an apology to passengers about the extreme heat. Garvin said passengers disembarked because “too many people were sick and we wanted to cool the plane down,” when passengers were told a crew member was sick.
Another passenger said on Instagram She ran out of food and diapers for the baby, but she managed to stay calm despite the heat.others report Delta Airlines did not provide them with any water, and the restrooms were closed.
Delta did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night, but said: ABC News It was investigating the case.
“We apologize for the inconvenience and eventual cancellation of Flight 555 from Las Vegas to Atlanta on July 17,” the airline said in a statement. “Delta’s team is investigating the conditions that caused the uncomfortable temperatures onboard and appreciates the efforts of Harry Reed International employees and first responders.”
Temperatures hit 114 degrees Celsius in Las Vegas on Monday, sending much of the country into a heatwave that has broken temperature records in many cities and put millions of people under excessive heat warnings.
According to the Ministry of Transport, airlines are required to provide comfortable cabin temperatures during flights. delay on tarmac.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “We want to know why passengers were allowed to remain on the plane for so long in triple-digit heat.” told Reuters On Thursday, he noted that the episode lasted several hours.
“Even at normal temperatures, tarmac delays shouldn’t be too long and we have rules about that and we are actively enforcing them now,” he said.
Mark Walker contributed to the report.
