(CNN) – The Department of Transportation is investigating an incident in which passengers say they were stuck on a hot plane on the tarmac for seven hours without being given food or water.
In a Tik Tok that has since gone viral, you can hear critical care nurse Christine Ieronimo telling a United Airlines worker about the experience she and hundreds of other passengers just went through.
“The girl had a panic attack and passed out,” said Ieronimo. “We had elderly people, we had babies. We had pregnant women, not even water. You didn’t even pass around water.”
In the video, Ieronimo and the passengers can be seen standing at their gate in Newark Liberty International Airport after flight was delayed for 7 hours, then canceled at 1 in the morning.
The passengers tell the worker ” we were trapped on that plane for 7 hours in 70-80 plus heat.“
”It was hot, thick, it was hard to breathe,” says Ieronimo. “I’m surprised somebody didn’t die because there were elderly people on the plane.”
The passengers were headed to Rome on an overnight flight July 3rd when shortly after being seated, things started to go wrong.
“We noticed it was getting hot. The air conditioning wasn’t working,” says Ieronimo.
The plane headed back to the gates, mechanics jumped on, and the problem seemed to be fixed.
But then, as they waited to take off…
“It started getting hot again,” says Ieronimo.
That’s when Ieronimo says the Captain announced the plane was going back to the gate and they’d be getting off. A process that took over 3 hours.
”People were taking off their shirts, and women were in sports bras, it was just so hot. It became unbearable and there was no ventilation,” says Ieronimo.
The biggest shock for Ieronimo?
”During the seven hours, nothing was ever offered. Nobody even offered water,” says Ieronimo. “‘What do you want me to do?’, was the exact quote I got from one of the flight attendants.”
Ieronimo says she watched elderly people sweat, a baby was crying, and a young girl almost passed out.
”She must have had a panic attack. And she was vomiting,” says Ieronimo.
DOT POLICY REQUIRES FOOD AND WATER:
According to the US Department of Transportation, “airlines must provide passengers with food and water no later than two hours after the tarmac delay begins …”
And even United policy claims “United will provide adequate food and potable water no later than two hours after the start of the tarmac delay, unless the pilot-in-command determines that safety or security considerations preclude such service.”
So, what happened?
”If the CEO – Scott Kirby’s parents were on that plane, would he have done something?,” says Ieronimo.
Ieronimo says passengers were left in the airport, with no accommodations or food — and a canceled flight.
A link United said passengers could click on for help wasn’t working. That’s what sparked the conversation that later went viral.
Ieronimo says her family eventually found rooms and were able to book new flights for the next day at their own expense, which added up to $4000.
United’s offer of compensation?
Vouchers worth $400.
She now has a message for United’s CEO.
”I think he needs to figure out how he is going to compensate all of us because it was a pretty horrific experience,” says Ieronimo.
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