Air India passengers endured sweltering conditions as the air conditioning and electrics failed on a flight bound for Singapore.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was scheduled to depart from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi at 11 pm on Wednesday, September 10.

However, it encountered the air-conditioning malfunction before take-off in the notoriously hot and polluted region.

Footage shows irritated holidaymakers fanning themselves with safety cards, struggling to cope with the intense heat.

The loss of electricity in the cabin added to the discomfort and the smell, which the filmer said was 'much worse than normal'.

He added: 'People were forced to use papers as fans. We were getting roasted in there. This wasn't even a budget flight, but these conditions were worse than animals endure.'

After nearly two hours of waiting inside the aircraft, more than 200 distressed travellers were asked to deplane and were evacuated to the terminal.

Air India later explained that flight AI2380, operating from Delhi to Singapore, was delayed due to a cabin cooling issue before departure.

The airline said in a statement: 'Passengers were regularly kept informed of the delay, and our ground colleagues in Delhi extended all support to passengers at the airport, including providing refreshments and meals. The flight departed at 5:36 am IST after a change of aircraft.'

The aircraft was replaced, and the flight took off for Singapore after a delay of nearly six hours.