Faulty AC turns Air India flight's cabin into sauna, passenger falls sick, plane forced to make emergency return

A Pune-to-Jaipur Air India Express flight was halted just before take-off on Tuesday evening after a woman passenger fell ill due to intense cabin heat caused by a malfunctioning air conditioning system, as reported by TOI. The flight, IX-2714, had begun taxiing around 7.45pm when the incident unfolded, forcing the aircraft to return to the bay.

There were around 150 passengers on board at the time.

According to Karan Jain, who was among the travellers, the signs of trouble began early. "Once we boarded the flight, we found that the aircraft was extremely stuffy, and there was no air conditioning," he told The Times of India. "After around 15–20 minutes, the flight started to taxi towards the runway. Just then, a female passenger started feeling unwell due to the heat and almost fainted. This resulted in the aircraft turning back and parking with one of the aerobridges."

Long wait inside, limited relief
Although the affected woman received immediate medical attention and was taken off the aircraft, other passengers had to remain seated in the cabin for close to two hours. The heat persisted.

Jain recounted that the crew eventually connected a ground air conditioning unit after passengers began raising concerns. “The crew plugged in a ground air conditioning unit and allowed some flyers to stand on the aerobridge. Meanwhile, the engineers tried to fix the air conditioning system,” he said.

Another passenger, Avi Sharma, described the discomfort clearly. "The female passenger who had suffered a health scare was deboarded from the aircraft while we were sweating inside," he said.

Eventually, around 10pm, passengers were allowed to deboard and return to the terminal building.

Airline responds, offers refunds and apologies
Air India Express released an official statement acknowledging the incident, attributing it to a medical emergency triggered by the faulty air conditioning.

"One of our flights from Pune returned to the bay before take-off due to a medical situation on board. The guest was promptly attended to by the airport doctor, found to be stable, and cleared to return home, accompanied by a colleague. Our team provided all necessary assistance to the guest throughout and extended a full refund for their flight," the airline said.

It added: “Due to a technical issue, the aircraft could not operate. All guests on the flight have been offered the option to reschedule to a later flight of their choice, or a full refund if they choose to cancel their booking. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused.”

This incident adds to recent scrutiny over operational hiccups faced by budget carriers in India, where rising passenger loads and tight aircraft turnaround times often push systems to the brink. While summer temperatures soar across much of the country, proper cabin climate control remains crucial—not only for comfort but for health.

Air India Express, a low-cost subsidiary of Air India under the Tata Group, has been expanding routes and updating its fleet. Still, Tuesday’s disruption highlights how even routine technical failures can cause cascading delays and distress, especially in a packed cabin on a hot evening.

(With inputs from TOI)