It is reported that more than 300 passengers were stuck for over 10 hours on an Emirates plane standing on the airport apron, writes Mirror.
Read more Iranian military claims to have carried out drone attacks on a US base in Kuwait
On July 22, flight EK302, flying from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Shanghai – the most populous city in China – was forced to change its route due to severe thunderstorms and divert the aircraft to the nearby Chinese city of Hangzhou.
The Airbus A380 – the world’s largest passenger aircraft – safely landed at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport at around 9 p.m. local time. On land, this airport is just about 125 miles (around 200 km) from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, where the Emirates flight was supposed to land. However, what was supposed to be just a minor inconvenience turned into a nightmare: 373 passengers were forced to remain on the plane, which stood at the airport until the next morning, around 7:30 a.m.
Passengers complained to local media about unbearable heat in the aircraft cabin – it is believed that the air conditioning system stopped working around 3 a.m. Others criticized the airline for providing only limited information during this difficult situation.
Read more Woman’s body found in the lake
As reported by the South China Morning Post, the Emirates crew planned to wait until weather conditions improved at Shanghai Pudong International Airport before continuing the journey. Since it was assumed that the plane would only spend a short time in Hangzhou, procedures necessary to accommodate 373 passengers were not immediately arranged. Shanghai media reported that disembarkation was further delayed due to a crew change – this procedure was required because the waiting time exceeded the allowable flight crew duty time limit.
When passengers and crew were finally allowed to leave the aircraft, they had spent more than 17 hours on it: about seven hours in the air, and more than ten standing on the airport apron. It is reported that Emirates apologized to the affected customers and stated that passengers were provided with meals, hotel accommodation, and transportation to Shanghai. The Mirror contacted Emirates requesting more information.
Read more At the National Concert Hall – the most advanced stage technologies in the Baltic States
