Milton Keynes, United Kingdom (PressExposure) July 17, 2010 -- The Virgin Atlantic jet which was filled with 300 passengers - a few clutching on to their hand-carried wheeled briefcase in disbelief - was headed to Newark, New Jersey when the unpleasant weather and union regulations restricted them to stay along the landing strip on the 22nd of June, Tuesday. For four hours, the hundreds of passengers were roasted in the plane's cabin as temperatures pitched at more than 100 degrees.
In aggravation of the passengers' horrific experience, the generators of the plane shut down on them at two instances, leaving them with no lights to see what was going on, and no air conditioning to keep their bodies and composures cool. "It was like four hours on the ground without any air conditioning... There were babies on the plane. And we are in dark and hot. You try to be patient but people were yelling and screaming," said passenger Beth William during a CNN interview.
Some of the passengers fainted because of the unbearable heat during this unfortunate event said Andrew Porwancher, a resident of Princeton, New Jersey. He added that one passenger was even taken to the hospital. In defense of Virgin Atlantic, airline officials released a statement that there was no evidence to link the passenger's hospitalization to the flight.
Prior to leaving the Heathrow Airport in London, the flight already had problems. Passengers claim the air conditioning system wasn't working so the flight to Newark was moved to two hours later after the plane was fixed. Just when they were about to arrive at Newark, storms at New York on Tuesday night interfered with the flight and the Virgin Atlantic had to divert the plane. With no choice, airline officials say, the plane had to land at Connecticut's Bradley Airport.
Upon landing on the strip of Connecticut, the generators broke down for the second time. Profusely sweating, disappointed, and exhausted, the passengers were eventually taken out of the plane as they carried their hand-carried items. They were brought to a terminal where they waited for another two hours for their luggage and instructions on how to reach Newark.
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