Three hundred passengers trapped on broken-down holiday jet for FOUR hours in 25C heat – only for flight to be cancelled
Angry holidaymakers complained of feeling dehydrated during ordeal at Manchester Airport
NEARLY 300 sweltering holidaymakers were trapped on a broken-down plane for FOUR hours - only to be told it would not be taking off.
Angry passengers complained of feeling dehydrated as they endured temperatures of 25C as their jet sat on the tarmac at Manchester Airport.
They had been expecting to be taking off for the Greek holiday isle of Kos at 1.55pm on Sunday.
Yet after the three and a half hour delay and the Thomas Cook flight was eventually abandoned due to a technical fault with the plane.
Andrew Whitehead, 53, from Oldham, Gtr Manchester was trapped on board the Boeing 757 with his 24 year-old son after boarding the flight at 1.20pm.
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He said those on board were initially told the delay was due to problems with airport ground crew before eventually being told it was a glitch with the plane’s satellite systems.
He told the M.E.N.: “It was awful.
“It was absolutely roasting outside so you can imagine how hot and stuffy it was on the plane.
“The wait was just going on and on but we didn’t seem to be getting any information.
“Fair enough things can go wrong with planes but to be sat there for so long was just ridiculous and it could have been handled so much better.
“They said they couldn’t hand out water until we were in the air and there lots of people with young kids and lots of people were getting pretty irate.
“It’s a bit of a nightmare start to the holiday."
Another passenger claimed that people on board suffered from panic attacks and fits.
Charles Hull told of his ordeal on Facebook, writing: "Hi mr Thomas cook I Hope your happy with yourself what hell you have put me and my family through today u left us 4 hours on the plane when when outside it was 25c the hottest day of the year with water refused cz it's not in your procedures.
"And then for people to start fitting , panic attacks and kids passing out you still don't I let us off the plane you should be ashamed of yourselfs
"I was on your flight today with a 2 year old you woudnt let me off the plane for 4 hours reaching 36c inside the plane and having to strip my 2 year old her down to her nappie as we kept refusing water!"
Thomas Cook say engineers had been doing their utmost to fix a technical problem on flight DE1724, from German airline Condor, part of the Thomas Cook group, but were unable to resolve the issue leading to the cancellation.
A spokesman for Thomas Cook said: “We’re extremely sorry to our customers for this delay which was due to a technical issue.
“Unfortunately it transpired it was not repairable
“We have arranged for an alternative aircraft to take the passengers and we’ve arranged hotel accommodation and transport for them tonight.”
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