Passengers on a delayed Ryanair flight from Spain to Manchester claim they were left trapped inside the aircraft for more than two hours as temperatures soared into the 40s Celsius.
Flight details and conditions
Ryanair flight FR6597 was scheduled to depart Barcelona Airport at 4.50pm local time on Monday, but passengers were not allowed to board until around 6pm. Instead of taking off, the Boeing 737 sat on the tarmac for two hours, leaving passengers drenched in sweat, according to reports.
Footage taken inside the plane showed passengers desperately trying to fan themselves. The temperature at Barcelona Airport reached a high of 31C outside, while inside the plane it allegedly topped 40C.
Passenger accounts
Rachel, a 34-year-old teacher and mother of two six-year-old twins, described the ordeal: 'Everything seemed to be fine at first although it was very hot outside, 32 or 33C. We got a message to sit down as quickly as possible as there would be no air conditioning until the engines were on and we were moving.'
'It was getting hotter and hotter and we were sitting there and we weren't moving. After the first 45 minutes people were dripping in sweat and we just weren't getting any information.'
'The staff were telling us to sit down or we'd miss our slot and everyone sat down and we thought we were leaving but again nothing happened. Another 20 minutes went by and we were still sitting there and still waiting. Then we were told there would be a further delay.'
'At that point it was so hot people were asking to be let off the plane. It got really bad. It was scary at that point because there was no cool air at all. Everyone was pouring with sweat. It was like being locked inside a sauna.'
'There were children crying. There was a woman with a heart condition seated behind me who fainted. She was slumped over. The temperature must have been in the high 40s. I was looking at my own children and their faces were all puffy because of the heat. It was actually shocking how they treated us. They wouldn't do that to animals.'
Passengers were told that if anyone wanted to get off, they would not be allowed back onto the plane. A few people fainted, and Rachel's husband nearly fainted. There was also a school trip of about 30 children aged 15 or 16.
Disembarkation and departure
At around 8.20pm, with no sign of departure, all passengers were instructed to disembark. Inside the terminal, some male passengers removed their wet tops, but local officials ordered them to put them back on, according to Rachel.
'I felt for the crew to be honest. I don't really blame them. They were just doing their jobs and they were as hot as we were. I don't think they really knew what was going on,' Rachel said.
Passengers were eventually told to re-board the aircraft, which took off shortly before 1am Spanish time on Tuesday, 21 July 2026, touching down in Manchester at 2am UK time to cheers from the travellers.
'It was an absolutely horrific experience,' said Rachel, adding that passengers were handed four euro vouchers that could only be used within the terminal. However, she claimed that the shops inside were shut.
Ryanair statement
A Ryanair statement said: 'This flight from Barcelona to Manchester (21 Jul) was delayed prior to departure due to thunderstorms at Barcelona Airport. Passengers were disembarked during the delay and reboarded once weather conditions improved.'
'Passengers booked on this flight received communications via email and PUSH notifications and were issued with refreshment vouchers during the delay. Once weather conditions improved, this flight departed for Manchester at 00:29am local time.'
