Passengers on an easyJet flight from Manchester to Antalya were left stranded more than 1,200 miles from their destination after the flight was cancelled on the runway and a replacement service was diverted to Milan.
The flight, originally scheduled to depart at 7.45am on Friday (August 28), was cancelled just minutes before take-off. Travellers claim they were instructed to leave the runway about ten minutes before departure, with one passenger saying they were about to board when they were told to return to the terminal.
Flight Cancelled on the Runway
EasyJet said weather-related delays would have pushed the crew beyond their legally permitted hours. After a delay of more than four hours, passengers finally took off around 12pm when a replacement crew was found, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Once airborne, passengers say they were informed the flight needed to divert to Milan because the crew had reached its duty-time limit. The plane, which passengers said largely consisted of families with young children, was taken to Milan Airport, over 1,200 miles from the intended destination.
Passengers Describe Difficult Conditions
James Lanson, travelling with his wife and two-year-old daughter, spoke to the Manchester Evening News from Milan Airport. He said the delays had been challenging: "It's been unbelievably difficult with our toddler. She hasn't eaten, she can't understand what's going on. There's no facilities in this airport for her or any of the other kids. I used to work as a prison officer and the prison that I used to work in kept the prisoners in better condition."
Lanson described how the initial boarding attempt ended: "We got on the coach, drove to the airplane and pulled up next to it and the doors didn't open. The bus driver said the pilot had called in sick and that he was gonna have to take us back to the airport." He said the driver's comment seemed like a joke, but they were driven back to the terminal and told the airline was trying to source a new pilot.
Voucher and Waiting in Milan
Passengers were given a €25 food voucher, but Lanson said the only place it could be used in the small airport was a Pret. He said he had visited the outlet five or six times in three hours, with an enormous queue that was not moving. He added that his two-year-old had not eaten since 8am and the Pret had been running out of food.
EasyJet said the initial flight was delayed due to air traffic control restrictions caused by adverse weather across Europe. The delay would have pushed the crew to exceed their legally permitted hours, so a stop in Milan was arranged to replace the crew. The aircraft will be refuelled and the flight will then proceed to Antalya, according to the Manchester Evening News.
An easyJet spokesperson apologised: "We are sorry for any inconvenience this will have caused and did all we could to minimise the impact of the disruption. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority."
