Some passengers stayed on the tarmac. Last Wednesday, an easyJet flight connecting Lanzarote in Spain with Liverpool in the United Kingdom had to take off from the airport with 19 passengers on board. In question, unfavorable weather, but also the heavy weight of the device.
“Thank you for coming today. But because there are so many of you, the plane is very heavy,” the pilot said in a video originally captured by a passenger. Liverpool Echo, a local English newspaper. “The combination of a very short take-off runway with unfavorable weather in Lanzarote has made the aircraft very heavy for take-off,” said the captain. The pilot then explained the situation in detail to the shocked passengers.
“Safety is our first priority, given the current wind conditions, it is not possible to fly the plane. Many factors come into play: it is very hot, the wind is not great, the direction is not good…”.
500 euros compensation per passenger
“The only way to solve the problem of a heavy aircraft is to make it a little lighter. The pilot then asked “20 volunteers” to leave the plane. “There will be a financial bonus. EasyJet has announced an amount of up to 500 euros per passenger,” he argued.
The proposal was initially poorly received by passengers. “I want to go home tonight,” can you hear on video from an excited passenger?
A security measure implemented by all companies
But eventually, an easyJet spokesperson confirms Liverpool Echo, “19 passengers on flight EZY3364 from Lanzarote to Liverpool have offered to board a later flight as the aircraft exceeded the weather-imposed weight limit.”
“This is a routine operational decision. In this situation, weight restrictions are in place on all airlines for safety reasons. If a flight exceeds the weight limit, we ask passengers to transfer to a later flight free of charge, which happened in this case, and volunteers are compensated as per regulations. Safety of our passengers and crew And well-being is always EasyJet’s top priority.
Missing some of its passengers, the low-cost carrier’s flight finally took off from Lanzarote at 11:30pm instead of 9:45pm, two hours late.
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