28 hours at the airport

Airline apologizes after odyssey in Tyrol

After 28 (!) hours of waiting, the plane finally took off.

(Bild: Privat)

As reported, passengers who wanted to travel from Innsbruck to London were stuck at the airport in the Tyrolean capital for around 28 hours on Epiphany. Now the airline has spoken out.

Passengers received the bad news during boarding: the aircraft had a technical defect and would not be taking off for the time being. As all the luggage was already on the plane, the passengers had to wait inside the area - which meant they could not leave the airport.

"I saw children crying"
Engineers were then flown in from London to try and repair the problem quickly. But even this was not possible in terms of time, nor could a rescue flight at 9.45 p.m. take the passengers to London. They were therefore stranded in Innsbruck - until 1.30 p.m. the following day. The return flight then worked out.

Some of the affected passengers at the airport.

(Bild: Privat, Krone KREATIV)

"We were given food vouchers, but the airline didn't organize any overnight stays in hotels for us. I saw children crying, there were people in wheelchairs - it was madness," described one passenger in an interview with Die Krone.

Bad weather, night flight ban
Now, a few days later, the airline easyJet has spoken out. "We apologize that flight EZY8694 from Innsbruck to London Gatwick was delayed overnight on Monday, 6 January due to a technical problem with the aircraft. The replacement aircraft from London Gatwick was unfortunately delayed due to the bad weather, so the flight had to be postponed to the next day due to the night flight ban at Innsbruck Airport," it said in a statement to the "Krone".

"Everyone's safety is our top priority"
 The airline also emphasizes: "We have done everything we can to minimize the impact of the disruption on our customers and have provided refreshment vouchers, meals and hotel accommodation at the airport subject to availability. We have also informed all customers who made their own bookings that they will receive a refund." The safety of all customers and crew is easyJet's top priority and the airline operates its aircraft fleet in strict compliance with all manufacturer guidelines.