A Delta Air Lines flight out of Las Vegas was canceled Monday after several passengers and at least one crew member fell ill amid “uncomfortable temperatures” on the plane as they waited for it to take off during an unrelenting heatwave, the airline said.
Multiple customers on Flight 555, which had been bound for Atlanta from Harry Reid International Airport, were seen by first responders, including a passenger and a flight attendant who had to be transported to a local hospital, according to Delta.
“We apologize for the experience our customers had on flight 555,” the airline said in a statement. “Delta teams are looking into the circumstances that led to uncomfortable temperatures inside the cabin and we appreciate the efforts of our people and first responders at Harry Reid International.”
The airline said customers were accommodated on other flights and received a direct apology and compensatory gesture for their experience.
Video shared online by a social media user who said they were on the plane showed someone being wheeled away on a stretcher.
Krista Garvin, a field producer for Fox News, said she was on the flight when the incident unfolded, calling it an “INSANE experience.” She said a number of passengers passed out due to the heat.
In a series of tweets, Garvin said the flight was initially delayed and then once passengers were finally able to board, they were left sitting for “almost 3 hours on a hot plane in 111 degree weather” awaiting takeoff.
The plane ultimately had to head back to the gate because people were “passing out,” she said.
In video she shared on Twitter, a voice could be heard on the plane’s intercom apologizing “for the situation being very hot back there.” NBC News was not immediately able to independently verify the video and Garvin did not immediately respond to an overnight request for comment.
