Albania instead of Athens

Woman in wheelchair put on wrong plane

A senior citizen in a wheelchair was put on the wrong plane by an employee at Nuremberg Airport - and landed in Albania instead of Athens. "The cause was an unfortunate chain of circumstances," a spokesperson for the airport said on Friday.

There were also communication problems with the customer, who did not speak German or English. "We very much regret this incident."

The 83-year-old was actually on her way to Greece to visit family, but ended up in Tirana, as the woman's daughter told Nürnberger Nachrichten.

Flight ticket would not have been valid
After arriving in Albania, she received a call from her mother and then organized accommodation and an onward flight to Athens. The daughter is unable to understand how this momentous mix-up could have happened. Her mother did not have a ticket for the flight to Albania, as she told the newspaper.

Airport offered to cover all costs
According to the airport spokesperson, the exact circumstances were reviewed internally and the procedure adapted so that such a situation could not happen again. The 83-year-old's daughter contacted the airport by e-mail after the incident on 22 May.

The airport then immediately contacted the passenger's daughter, apologized and offered help. The airport offered to take over the onward transportation, a flight booking and all costs incurred.