Holidaymakers travelling from Manchester Airport to Antalya endured a marathon journey after their easyJet flight was delayed for hours and then diverted to Milan more than 1,200 miles from their destination.
The disruption affected easyJet flight U22141 from Manchester to the popular Turkish holiday destination on Friday, 28 August.
Passengers had originally expected to leave Manchester during the morning but faced disruption before departure and were returned to the terminal.
EasyJet said air traffic control restrictions caused by adverse weather across Europe were responsible for the initial delay.
The airline said the disruption meant the operating crew would eventually exceed the maximum hours they were legally permitted to work.
A replacement arrangement was therefore made and passengers eventually departed Manchester more than four hours later than originally planned.
However, the journey to Turkey did not proceed directly to Antalya.
Once airborne, passengers were informed that the aircraft would divert to Milan Malpensa Airport in Italy so a replacement crew could take over and the aircraft could be refuelled.
Flight-tracking records for U22141 confirm the aircraft departed Manchester and diverted to Milan on 28 August before later continuing from Milan to Antalya.
For passengers travelling to or from airports across Britain, DM Airport Transfers provides pre-booked airport transfers and long-distance travel throughout the UK.
The diversion created another lengthy wait for passengers after the aircraft arrived in Milan during the afternoon.
The flight eventually departed Milan for Antalya during the evening.
Flight-tracking data shows the Milan-to-Antalya sector landed at approximately 9.45pm local time.
Passengers therefore reached their destination more than 12 hours after the arrival time they had originally expected.
Some travellers told media outlets that travelling with young children made the extended disruption particularly difficult.
EasyJet apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused and said it had done everything possible to minimise the impact of the disruption.
The airline said the safety and wellbeing of customers and crew remained its highest priority.
The circumstances also highlight why airline crew duty limits can turn an initial flight delay into a considerably longer disruption.
Pilots and cabin crew are subject to strict limits governing how long they can remain on duty, with the rules intended to manage fatigue and protect aviation safety.
When an aircraft suffers a lengthy delay before departure, the available operating time for the original crew can consequently expire before the journey can be completed.
In this case, easyJet arranged the Milan stop so a new crew could take over rather than cancelling the journey altogether.
The airline’s scheduled Manchester-Antalya services were operating again on Saturday, 29 August.
Thanks for visiting DM News! If you’ve got a question, a story tip, or anything you’d like to share, head over to DriverMatty.com — I love to hear from you. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out my other websites and social media channels.
Sources
The Independent – easyJet Passengers Stranded After Flight to Turkey Diverted 1,200 Miles Away
