Woozy passengers sat trapped inside a sweltering plane for 10 hours after an emergency landing left them trapped inside the boiling cabin.
Travellers grew dizzy and light-headed in the stifling conditions as temperatures soared and the air grew thick.
The interior rapidly turned into a furnace after the air conditioning system packed up and the heat built without mercy.
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Angry crowds soon gathered at the doors and demanded to get off while tempers flared inside the confined space.
The ordeal took place on Emirates flight EK302, a giant Airbus A380 carrying 373 people from Dubai to Shanghai.
The flight had already been delayed for five hours at the departure point in the UAE.
Severe storms then forced the jet to divert and touch down at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport just after 9pm on Wednesday (22 Jul).
Crews had planned a quick turnaround but their shift finished and no matching relief team was available at the airport.
A technical fault then grounded the aircraft and left everyone stuck on board throughout the long night.
Strict border and customs rules blocked any exit until officials arrived to process the international arrival.
Videos captured passengers in open revolt near the exits as frustration boiled over inside the hot cabin.
One flyer said: “We asked to leave from the start but the crew told us customs and border checks would not allow it.”
Another complained: “We just want to get home as soon as possible.”
A third added: “Someone fainted from the heat.”
Two passengers collapsed with suspected heat stroke and needed ambulances called to the scene, according to reports.
The police raced across after a foreign passenger passed out and the situation grew tenser.
Hangzhou airport staff later confirmed that every traveller completed entry checks and moved on to hotels for rest.
Some chose buses straight to Shanghai once the paperwork was done.
The airline has now apologised to all 373 passengers for the ordeal.
They offered meals, rooms and ground transport in response.
They also thanked local airport and inspection teams for their support throughout the night.
The giant jet, already 14 years old, stayed in Hangzhou for repairs after the technical snag, as reported by Need To Know.
One traveller said the flight was already running five hours late when it finally departed Dubai.
Combined with the later weather diversion and the long night stuck on the ground in Hangzhou, some passengers are reportedly seeking compensation.
