Dozens of passengers aboard a Blue Bird Airways flight bound for Crete were reportedly left sitting inside an aircraft without functioning air conditioning for nearly two hours Sunday, as temperatures inside the plane climbed and some passengers began feeling ill.
The passengers had already boarded the chartered aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport and were waiting on the tarmac for departure to the Greek island when the flight was delayed. With the ventilation system reportedly not functioning amid the intense August heat, conditions inside the cabin quickly deteriorated.
Footage from the aircraft showed parents attempting to cool their children and themselves using wipes and ice as they waited for the plane to depart.
One furious passenger described the conditions aboard the aircraft, saying: “We’ve been inside a closed plane for an hour and 40 minutes without air conditioning, with small children fainting. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.”
The incident came amid significant congestion at Ben Gurion Airport. On Friday, unusually heavy traffic was reported at the airport, with approximately 90 flights accumulating within a period of just three hours.
The Israel Airports Authority attributed those delays to heavy air traffic and restrictions in European airspace, particularly over Greece, as well as the presence and operations of American aerial refueling aircraft. Officials denied reports that the disruptions were connected to a strike or staffing shortages.
Separately, El Al began selling tickets for flights to Vietnam approximately two months ago and has already sold more than 20,000 tickets to Israeli travelers. However, the airline currently lacks the necessary security authorization to operate the route, according to a report by Channel 13.
El Al confirmed that flights from Tel Aviv to Hanoi that were scheduled to begin in October have been canceled because the required approvals have not been granted by Israeli security authorities, including the Shin Bet.
The airline said the decision followed notification from Israeli security officials responsible for protecting Israeli aviation, operating under Shin Bet directives, that the necessary authorization could not be provided for the route to operate using Israeli aircraft and crews.
