Having a really tough time at the moment…
Anger as air passengers stranded
Bmibaby said parts for repairs were not available on Monday
About 200 passengers heading from Spain to Cardiff were stranded for the night after their flight was cancelled on Monday evening.
Some passengers reacted angrily when they learned they would not be heading home from Alicante Airport until much later on Tuesday.
Their bmibaby flight was called off after an earlier cancellation of a plane from Edinburgh to Cardiff.
The company blamed the delay on a failure of the plane’s intercom.
The passengers had been due to leave Alicante on the 2020 BST flight on Monday, but were held up as a knock-on effect of the plane delayed in Edinburgh.
They eventually returned to Cardiff on Tuesday lunchtime.
Some of the group in Alicante had young children, and were upset to learn that they would have to stay overnight. They were offered sandwiches by airport staff.
One passenger, Colin Lewis from Carmarthen, speaking from the airport, said nobody from bmibaby had told the passengers what happened.
Mr Lewis also lost out because he had pre-paid for an hotel room in Cardiff for himself and his wife for their original arrival time.
“We couldn’t go to a hotel because we didn’t have transport, we couldn’t come back because we didn’t know what time the plane was coming in, so we were just stuck here,” said Mr Lewis.
Communicate
He said passengers spread out around the airport.
Although [the intercom] sounds small and insignificant, it’s very important
Bmibaby spokesman
“They’ve slept on benches and did the best that they could. They didn’t have anything else to do.”
He said would be contacting bmibaby when he got home.
In a statement, bmibaby said attempts failed to fix the intercom, which is used by the pilot to communicate with the cabin crew.
The problem happened again, and the plane had to return to the stand in Edinburgh. The flight was cancelled without an attempt to take off.
Bmibaby said parts needed for repair were not immediately available, but the work was carried out early on Tuesday.
A spokesman said: “The intercom is unfortunately a part of the required equipment that the aircraft has to have fully functioning.
“Although it sounds small and insignificant, it’s very important.”
By: LBARULES - 29th June 2004 at 21:49
I am hoping that if Baby do come to LBA (As is strongly rumoured), they dont take over either the GLA or the EDI route from the mainline and they dont take over the other CDG flights. I think you need a blend of low cost and catering for the business PAX, not as they have done at EMA, and now must be regretting it with the amount of flights that are coming back to mainline.
By: by738 - 29th June 2004 at 21:40
GLA-EMA flights with BMIbaby are repeatedly cancelled, not just delayed, especially at the weekend. Obviously now EZY have pulled this route, Baby think they can be complacent. Bring back mainline BMI on GLA-EMA.
By: RIPConcorde - 29th June 2004 at 19:39
Another delay tonight on arrivals at EDI:
18.20 WW5003 CARDIFF EXPECTED 2010
By: SHAMROCK321 - 29th June 2004 at 19:10
Tut Tut Ryanair intercoms all work fine LOL.If I had been the pilot i would have roared at the crew.LOL another joke sorry.Ye they are having alot or problems I think they should just hit the reset button and replan their strategey.
By: bmi-star - 29th June 2004 at 18:55
Was on Wales Today now, lot of angry passengers saying the low cost boom is over and they’ll never fly low-cost again, yeah right! Thats the only chioce you have out of Cardif!!!
It might be my country’s only airport, but i hate CWL
By: Mark L - 29th June 2004 at 17:48
Not going well for them at the moment…
By: LBARULES - 29th June 2004 at 17:27
Yeah their are a few errors in this report, in the original copy it featured a photo of a BMi mainline a/c.
Still not nice for Baby though.
By: RIPConcorde - 29th June 2004 at 17:25
About 200 passengers heading from Spain to Cardiff were stranded for the night after their flight was cancelled on Monday evening
Not a 737 then! 😉 Typical media exagerration? :rolleyes:
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June 29, 2004 at 5:15 pm