More than 300 passengers found themselves stranded on an Emirates flight on the runway of an airport for over 10 hours, according to reports. The flight, identified as EK302, was en route from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Shanghai, China, when severe thunderstorms compelled the crew to redirect the plane to Hangzhou, a nearby Chinese city, on July 22.

The Airbus A380, recognized as the world’s largest passenger aircraft, made a safe landing at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport around 9 pm local time. Despite being only approximately 110 miles away from Shanghai Pudong International Airport by road, the Emirates flight remained parked at the airport until roughly 7:30 am the following day, turning what was expected to be a minor inconvenience into a harrowing experience for the 373 passengers on board.

Affected passengers raised concerns to local media about the oppressive heat within the cabin, as the air conditioning allegedly failed at 3 am. Some passengers also criticized the airline for providing limited information during the ordeal. According to the South China Morning Post, Emirates crew initially intended to wait for improved weather conditions at Shanghai Pudong International Airport before resuming the journey.

Due to the assumption that the stop in Hangzhou would be brief, immigration procedures were not promptly organized to process the 373 passengers, leading to delays in allowing passengers to disembark. When passengers and crew were eventually permitted to exit the aircraft, they had spent over 17 hours on board, including around seven hours in flight and an additional 10-and-a-half hours on the tarmac.

Emirates has reportedly issued apologies to the affected passengers and confirmed that they were provided with meals, accommodations, and shuttle services to Shanghai. The Mirror has reached out to Emirates for further details.