Anxious passengers waited inside a stuffy plane cabin as their flight was delayed by a technical issue in Thailand.

Footage shows the tourists - mostly Taiwanese nationals returning to their home country for the Chinese New Year - stuck on China Airlines flight CI840 at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on Monday evening.

The passengers claimed they waited for four hours inside the notorious Boeing 737, which was unable to depart due to a suspected airconditioning malfunction.

In a statement, China Airlines said the plane encountered the problem while taxiing to the runway and had to undergo emergency maintenance.

The company said it arranged for the passengers to stay at a hotel in Bangkok for the night. They flew to the Kaohsiung International Airport the following afternoon, January 28.

The plane is the same model as the one involved in the tragic Jeju Air crash in December. Boeing says it is part of the Next Generation (737 NG) series of its 737 aircraft.

On December 29, 2024, Jeju Air Flight 2216, crashed at the Muan International Airport in South Korea, killing 179 of 181 people onboard. The incident occurred when the plane skidded down the runway and collided with a concrete structure during an emergency landing attempt.