Date: 202111
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Aircraft: A320
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Aircraft component: Air Conditioning and Pressurization Pack
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Physiological - Other
Second reporter function: Flight Attendant In Charge
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Attendant; Person Flight Crew
When detected: Aircraft In Service At Gate; Pre-flight
Result: General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: The flight was deplaned due to a fumes event but shortly after boarding the plane I began to feel nauseous with a slight headache. I had recently got the vaccine and haven't been 100% so I attributed it to that. I ran to the restroom a couple times but then I felt like someone put globs of Vaseline on my eyes.  I (number 4) help in the front and main cabin; said to the number 2 that I wasn't feeling well and shortly after (maybe 2 minutes) the number 1 called stating we needed to get our belongings and get off.  We were already on the plane longer than usual before boarding passengers. We had already had a delayed boarding due to maintenance with an armrest and once we began boarding stopped due again due to the maintenance worker needing to do additional work. I could start to smell more of a stench of gas or something unusual in their cabin as I was talking to a passenger in the aircraft but not much in the back and we started deplaning.


Second narrative: We boarded about XX passengers but had to stop because of seat armrest needed to be secured or replaced. After 25 minutes we were able to board many more passengers because the mechanic had fixed the armrest. I; the 1FA (Flight Attendant) was standing in front of the cockpit and heard another mechanic who was in the cockpit say to the Captain that we have a fume event and everyone needs to deplane. I immediately felt a headache which I never get and felt a bit physically off. I asked the Captain and he said yes we are having a fume event and he was going to make an announcement immediately; which he did for everyone to deplane. I informed the rest of my crew of the situation; made an announcement also for everyone to deplane and after all passengers were back in the terminal the Captain went through his fume event list with the entire crew on the Jetbridge. ZZZ Flight service met us at the gate area and we were removed from our trip and all of the flight attendants; 3 of us went to the health center. I know I felt much better and my thought processes more normal after we waited the five hours at the hospital. They did a blood test and concluded that the tests were normal and gave us clearance that we were good to return to work.


Synopsis: A319 flight attendants reported a fumes event of unknown source during passenger boarding resulting in health issues. Flight was cancelled.