KUALA LUMPUR: Passengers on a Scoot flight from Kuala Lumpur on Saturday were asked to disembark twice due to a technical issue.
According to AsiaOne portal, one of the TR469 flight passengers, Jason Tan, told 8world that the plane had not departed for Singapore an hour after its 7.10pm departure time.
He said the air-conditioning of the plane wasn't on, making it hard for the passengers to breathe.
He said the crew then announced that the plane had a technical issue and instructed the passengers to disembark.
After an hour, the passengers were allowed back on board and were told that the flight would depart at 11.30pm.
However, he said, the plane was still on the tarmac by midnight and the passengers were again asked to disembark because of the same technical issue.
"The passengers were given two options: either cancel their tickets or wait for Scoot to arrange alternative accommodation and a later flight to Singapore.
"The staff said the airline would refund passengers who cancelled their tickets, but there was no explanation about compensation," he said, describing the situation as chaotic.
According to the portal, another passenger, Steven Kang, recounted his experience in a Facebook post on Sunday, calling it his worst flight ever.
He said there was no ventilation on the plane, and some passengers were suffocating while waiting for take-off.
Kang, who chose not to cancel his ticket, then updated in a comment that the next flight scheduled by Scoot was supposed to depart at 1pm on Sunday, but took off only about 5pm.
"I took 23 hours for what is supposed to be a one-hour flight," he wrote.
In response to 8world, the airline apologised to the passengers, saying a technical issue with the aircraft led to the delays.
The airline said it had to wait for spare parts to be delivered to Kuala Lumpur, so the plane was unable to fly as scheduled.
"Passengers were provided with accommodation, transportation and meal arrangements."