US media reports revealed that passengers of a United Airlines plane were trapped inside for several hours without food or air conditioning.
CNN reported that the plane was supposed to fly from Newark Liberty International Airport to the Italian capital, Rome.
Instead, the passengers found themselves in the worst ride of their lives after the air conditioner malfunctioned, leaving them without ventilation for seven hours.
To make matters worse, meals were unavailable.
It was so hot inside it was hard to breathe, said Christine Aranamo, one of the passengers on the plane. “We were trapped for a full seven hours. There should be a federal investigation. I’m really surprised no one died.”
Aranmo added according to CNN that, “Things started to go wrong moments after she sat inside the plane. The weather got hotter, and the air conditioner was not working, until the plane returned to the gate and the specialists began to solve the problem, but the weather got hotter once again”.
The captain told the passengers that the plane would return to the gate so they can leave, but this step took place after three full hours.
The US Department of Transportation announced the opening of an urgent investigation into the incident.
US law requires airlines to provide meals to passengers two hours after the flight was disrupted, and failure to do so is a clear violation of the laws.
