B757-200
Flight Attendant Current
Physiological - Other
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Weather; Procedure
I called ramp service for an air conditioning truck several minutes into the boarding process. After another 15 minutes I called again. Passengers were complaining and I had started sweating profusely. I usually would not allow boarding to start; but at the beginning of boarding the temperature was about 79 degrees and I thought air conditioning was on the way. About halfway through boarding I started to feel nauseous and had to go out on the Jetway where it was cooler. That made a total of 3 times leaving my duties to ask for air conditioning. The pilot finally arrived and turned on the APU. He told me that boarding should not have started at that temperature.
When ramp personnel failed to obtain the requested air conditioning equipment the cabin temperature rose so high during passenger boarding the Flight Attendant reporter needed to exit the aircraft for relief. Ultimately a pilot arrived and started the APU to provide relief.