AN A319 WITH APU BLEED INOP WAS CLEARED TO START WITH GND COOLING AIR STILL ATTACHED. THE FLT CREW ABORTED THE START WHEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE GND AIR.

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THE SCENARIO HOT HUMID DAY; APU BLEED INOP. AIRPLANE ALMOST FULL OF PAX; GND AIR CONDITIONING CART AIR NOT KEEPING UP. WE ARE READY TO GO A FEW MINS LATE. NO PUSH CREW. FLT DECK BECOMING UNBEARABLY HOT. (BY THE WAY; THE FLT CREW GETS CHARGED WITH THE DELAY; INITIALLY.) THE PUSH CREW FINALLY SHOWS UP ABOUT 1 HR AFTER SCHEDULED DEP. THEY HAVE BAGS TO LOAD. CARGO DOOR CLOSES; START CART REVS UP AND SOMEONE ON THE HEADSET TELLS US THEY ARE READY FOR ENG START. WE GET CLRNC FROM RAMP CTL AND COMMENCE ENG #1 START. SUDDENLY SOMEONE'S STANDING ON THE TUG AND FRANTICALLY WAVING THE UNIVERSAL STOP SIGNAL AT THE CAPT WHILE POINTING AT ENG #1. NO ONE'S ON THE HEADSET NOW. WE ABORT THE START. SOMEONE ELSE FINALLY GETS ON THE HEADSET AND TELLS US THAT THE GND AIR CONDITIONING CART AIR HAD NOT BEEN DISCONNECTED. LUCKILY; NO ONE'S HURT AND NOTHING'S BROKEN. I ASK IF SOMEONE ELSE HAD GOTTEN ON THE HEADSET A FEW MINS EARLIER. I'M TOLD THEY HAD BUT THEN WALKED OFF TO DISCONNECT GND AIR CONDITIONING CART AIR (WITHOUT LETTING US KNOW). LESSON LEARNED: I PROBABLY WON'T BE ACCEPTING AN AIRPLANE WITH AN INOP APU BLEED AT THIS ARPT AGAIN.