Passengers refuse to board Ukrainian plane

PASSENGERS due to travel to Crete were left stranded at Larnaca Airport yesterday after refusing to board an alternative Ukrainian carrier to their destination.

The 140 passengers were initially set to depart on Wednesday with a Hellas Jet flight, but a technical problem left the plane grounded and the passengers stranded at the airport.

When the passengers were offered an alternative flight to Heraklion with a Ukrainian carrier, only 50 passengers agreed.

The rest refused and demanded their money back.

The remaining passengers were then taken with buses to the Hilton Hotel in Nicosia until the problem could be resolved.

The passengers returned to the airport at 5am yesterday morning and were informed by airline officials that because the plane was still experiencing difficulties they could still travel with the Ukrainian airline, but they again refused and remained stranded at the departure lounge for a further seven hours.

Angry passengers yesterday accused the airline of not taking responsibility for the problem. Other passengers complained that because their luggage had been taken through security checks, they were unable to get basic needs such as diapers and baby food.

“We paid extra so that we could get a safer flight,” shouted one passenger. “I am not paying extra to be placed on some second rate airline. Who knows what the safety standards are?”

Yesterday, the passengers were sent back to Nicosia for lunch until the airline decided on what to do with the passengers refusing to take the alternative flight to Greece.

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