PASSENGERS on a flight from Glasgow to Madeira spent nearly 12 hours on board the plane as high winds prevented it from landing at its destination, while Brexit regulations stopped them disembarking at an alternative location, according to one traveller.
The Jet2 flight circled above the Portuguese island for about an hour due to weather conditions, before diverting to nearby island Porto Santo.
Upon landing, passengers asked if they could get off the plane there and head to Madeira by boat, with the plane set to refuel and return to Scotland.
But one passenger, Gill McCall, told Glasgow Live that this wasn’t possible. After a fellow traveller spoke to staff, who then discussed the situation with the pilot, McCall claimed: “They said that Porto Santo wasn't made up to deal with non-EU residents, they didn't have people there to deal with all the paperwork etc, it's a small airport.”
McCall said staff informed travellers that “they had no choice but to take people back to Glasgow because the winds were too high” around Madeira.
She described the incident as a “hugely frustrating situation”, with additional confusion over further Covid-19 testing and the rebooking of her family’s flight.
MCall is now on holiday in Madeira but told Glasgow Live they will pursue the issue when they get home. "We are fine; it's myself, my husband and my 19-year-old daughter and a friend. There were a lot of older, infirm people on that flight and that must have been absolutely torturous for them. It was torturous enough for us.”
A spokesperson for Jet2 said: “Due to adverse weather conditions in Madeira, which are beyond our control, flight LS129 from Glasgow to Funchal had to be diverted to Porto Santo on Friday 23 July.
"As there was no improvement in the weather, all customers returned to Glasgow and departed on another flight on Saturday 24 July. They are now enjoying their holidays in Funchal.”
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