Delta Air Lines faces scrutiny over cabin heat issues following emergency hospitalization

SAVANNAH, Ga. - A Cobb County man was hospitalized last month after he passed out aboard a Delta Air Lines flight with no air conditioning, prompting emergency crews to board the plane before takeoff.

Arsenio Young was on a delayed flight from Savannah to Atlanta on May 20 when he began experiencing symptoms of extreme heat exhaustion while the aircraft sat on the tarmac. 

What they're saying:

Body camera footage from responding Savannah police officers captured the tense moments as flight attendants called for help.

"He’s extremely hot, dizzy, and nauseous," a flight attendant is heard telling officers as they entered the plane. One officer responded, "I mean, I’m already sweating and I’ve only been on here five minutes." The flight attendant replied, "Like, my pants are soaked."

Young was pulled from the plane and rushed to a local hospital, where he remained overnight. "The doctor told me if I was on the plane for another 10-15 minutes, I would have had a heat stroke," Young said. "It was unbearable."

Young, who was heading home to Cobb County, said the plane never left the ground. A delay left the aircraft sitting in place for over 30 minutes without air circulation. "It was hell. It was extremely hell on that plane," he said. "No one deserves that. No one deserves that. As a person, anyone."

Young said he is recovering but continues to experience lingering effects from the ordeal. "I understand vehicles not having A/C because you can roll down a window," he said. "But you can’t roll down a window on a plane."

The other side:

Delta confirmed the incident and issued a statement saying, "We’ll work with him to address any costs associated with treatment." The airline acknowledged that while uncommon, "uncomfortable cabin temperatures can occur in certain circumstances while on the ground for limited periods." Delta added that it has a team dedicated to reviewing such incidents to prevent similar situations in the future.

Dig deeper:

This is not the first time the airline has faced scrutiny over overheated cabin conditions. In 2023, passengers on a Delta flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta became ill after sitting for hours in triple-digit heat.