EasyJet offloads 19 passengers to tackle weighty situation, 19,000 baht compensation offered
The EasyJet airline delayed a flight for two hours asking 19 passengers to disembark, citing excessive aircraft weight, according to the Daily Mail website. The aircraft was travelling from Lanzarote, Spain, to Liverpool, England.
The flight was originally slated to leave the airport at 9.45pm, but poor weather conditions meant that several hours passed without the plane taking off. Some passengers started to show signs of frustration at 11.24pm while the plane still sat on the tarmac.
@razza699 This is madness 🙈🙈😱#fyp #easyjet #lanzarote #Liverpool #johnlennon #Airport #holiday #flying ♬ original sound – Ryan Williams
Footage from one passenger revealed an announcement made by the pilot to the passengers…
“Thanks, everyone for coming today, but because there are so many of you, the plane is quite heavy.”
The pilot continued that with the plane being so heavy and the airport runway being very short combined with unfavourable weather conditions, the plane was too heavy to fly. Subsequently, the pilot stated that safety is EasyJet’s primary concern and the plane would not be flying under such circumstances, reported KhaoSod.
The pilot, having consulted with the veteran operation team that had dealt with such an issue before, proposed a solution to reduce the weight of the aircraft. Easyjet staff then asked if 20 volunteers agreed to step off the plane they would be offered compensation of around 500 euros (19,000 baht). However, some passengers in the clip simply shook their heads, declining the offer, stating they wanted to return home that night.
Eventually, a spokesperson for EasyJet disclosed to local media that 19 passengers had voluntarily disembarked the flight to travel on later flights due to the aircraft weight exceeding the limit for the prevailing weather conditions.
The spokesman further noted that all airlines have weight restrictions for safety reasons. If a flight is overweight, volunteering passengers can travel on subsequent flights without incurring any charges and receive compensation as per established guidelines. They reiterated that passenger and crew safety and well-being are of paramount importance to the airline.
