On a flight from Lanzarote, Spain to Liverpool, UK, 19 passengers were removed from the plane on Wednesday. The weight of the EasyJet plane in the bad weather conditions was the reason for this action as it made flying impossible.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the poor weather conditions had already caused a significant delay to the flight. The plane was supposed to take off from the Spanish airport at 9.45 pm on Wednesday, but this was eventually postponed to 11.30 pm.
A video taken by a passenger captures the pilot explaining the situation to the passengers. Apart from the weight of the plane and the adverse weather conditions, the short runway was also a problem for safe take-off.
The flight from Lanzarote to John Lennon Airport was delayed for several hours https://t.co/StWMMOcnuL
— Liverpool Echo (@LivEchonews) July 6, 2023
Compensation
The pilot then shared the bad news: “I have spoken with our team and the only way to address the problem of the overweight plane is to make it lighter.” A call was then made for 20 volunteers who would be willing to leave the plane. They would receive a compensation of up to €500 per person to stay an extra night in Lanzarote instead of flying back to Liverpool.
While this request was not appreciated by every passenger, a spokesperson for EasyJet confirmed to the Liverpool Echo that 19 volunteers eventually did not return to the UK. According to the spokesperson, this was in the best interest of the safety and well-being of the passengers and the plane’s crew.
The plane finally arrived in Liverpool just after three o’clock in the morning.
