PLEA FOR HELP
Moment desperate pilot calls POLICE to help ‘abandoned’ passengers stuck on plane for 3 HOURS after DAYS of chaos
THIS is the dramatic moment a desperate pilot was forced to call in POLICE to help passengers stuck on a plane for three HOURS after days of chaos.
The pilot on flight TOM2106 to Tenerife told passengers on Sunday they had been "abandoned" by carrier Swissport following an initial delay.
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He was then forced to call cops to help hundreds of passengers disembark due to staff shortages.
Families had already been delayed by a few hours in boarding the plane, which was due to depart at 5.50pm, eventually getting into the craft at 7pm.
What we know so far...
- British Airways has cancelled at least 124 short-haul flights at Heathrow today
- EasyJet has cancelled at least 31 flights at Gatwick
- Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab accused airlines of a "lack of preparation" ahead of the holiday surge
- Massive queues outside Manchester airport already show queues from 4am
- Queues have also formed outside St Pancras for the Eurostar
And in a video filmed on board, the pilot can be heard telling passengers "Swissport have abandoned us," reports.
The travellers were eventually escorted off the plane at Manchester Airport.
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Passenger Adam Wyczalkowski, 22, told MEN: "The flight was meant to leave at 5.50pm, but we were late getting on board in the first place which was around 7pm.
"We were told the bags would need to be loaded by Swissport, but then we heard they had only half loaded them onto the aircraft.
"We were then told all the staff had then disappeared, and the captain told us all that due to crew hour regulations, the flight might get cancelled in the end.
"Eventually they made another announcement that there had been no communication about us getting off the plane because there were no staff available to let us off."
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He added: "There was not a single member of staff in sight, so the captain informed us they will be calling the police in order to let us disembark."
TUI confirmed "operational issues" had delayed the flight, adding all customers were given a new departure time on Tuesday, as well as an overnight stay in a hotel.
A spokesperson said: "We’d like to apologise to customers travelling on flight TOM2106 from Manchester to Tenerife on Monday 30 May which was unfortunately delayed due to operational issues.
"We were in contact with affected customers, offered overnight accommodation and meals where needed, and advised them of their new departure time as soon as we could. This flight is now due to depart this evening.
"The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different.
TRAVEL CHAOS
It comes as travel chaos plagues UK airports with overbooked flights and staff shortages plunging thousands of Brits head first into holiday hell.
Tui passengers were left in tears yesterday when exhausted cops were forced to tell them their flight was cancelled, reading a statement from the airline.
Others have had their dream trips scrapped by text last minute, with abandoned passengers forced to sleep on airport floors amid eight-hour delays.
Train stations are no better, with footage taken at London's St Pancras station showing huge queues for the Eurostar.
Brits waited on pavements outside the station as a "technical issue" caused delays leaving London.
One mum, Charlie Day, was left stranded at Gatwick airport for 22 hours after being kicked off a plane because it was too full.
Meanwhile, Mum Glenda Powell, of Bristol, shared a snap of her distraught six-year-old weeping from "exhaustion" after the family were left stranded in Cyprus when Tui cancelled their flights twice.
She wrote: "Second attempt to get home...
"So our Manchester flight is cancelled... Literally got off the coach at the airport to be turned straight back round to go back to the same hotel/room.
"Absolute joke. Tui this is the face of a six-year-old who is exhausted from travelling to an airport at 10pm and just wants to go home."
FLIGHTS SCRAPPED
More than 30,000 Tui passengers due to fly from Manchester Airport alone over the next month were expected to have their holiday plans crushed by the end of yesterday.
And travellers across the country have been warned the disruption could get worse - as unions say there'll be problems throughout "the entire summer".
British Airways has already cancelled at least 124 short-haul flights from Heathrow on Wednesday, insisting passengers were given advance notice.
Meanwhile EasyJet has cancelled at least 31 flights at Gatwick, to destinations to Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Poland and Edinburgh.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said airport and travel firms bosses needed to sort the issue, insisting the Government had "done their bit".
And the Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said this morning there has "clearly been a lack of preparation for that surge back of demand of holidaymakers" following the pandemic.
I don't think the airline operators have done the recruitment that they should have done, and taken the advice that the transport secretary gave them.
Dominic Raab
He told Sky News: "Grant Shapps has been talking to the industry for months now, saying 'This will come and that you need to make sure you've got your recruitment in place'.
"So I know there's a bit of finger-pointing going on at the moment, but that's the support and that's the advice."
He added: "I don't think the airline operators have done the recruitment that they should have done, and taken the advice that the transport secretary gave them."
On Sunday, passengers in Stansted camped side-by-side on the airport floor after flight cancellations left them stranded.
Many were forced to leave airports without their luggage.
Last week, easyJet announced it will cancel more than 200 flights from in total. Around 24 flights from Gatwick will be axed every day until June 6.
Tui has scrapped a "small number" of services from Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester.
Of police being called to disembark passengers from a Tui flight at Manchester on Sunday, a statement from Swissport stated: "While the return in flight volumes after the serious impact of the pandemic is undoubtedly a positive development, it is also exacerbating resource challenges across the aviation industry, including at Swissport, especially at a busy period of holiday travel.
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"We are very sorry for our part in any delays and disruption passengers have experienced.
"We’re doing everything we can to address our role in meeting our resource challenges, welcoming over 2,000 new colleagues since the start of the year, and we continue to work with our partners to identify contingency measures and improve baggage and aircraft turnaround times.”
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