Furious passengers say they had to demand food and water during a six-hour wait on the tarmac due to bad weather.
Travellers flying from Albany, New York, to Punta Gorda, Florida, chanted « let us out, let us out » in the aisles of a flight on Monday, February 17, after waiting hours for takeoff.
The flight, operated by discount US provider Allegiant Air, was scheduled to begin boarding at 12:15pm, but passengers were only allowed on at around 3:30pm after weather-related disruption.
A couple with two young children was among the travellers who then sat on the tarmac of Albany International Airport for around six hours before they were told it had been cancelled at 10:15pm.
Allegiant blamed factors including stormy weather in New York and power outages at the airport for the long delay and cancelled the journey after crew members reached the legal limit for time flown in 24 hours.
Chris and Mary Plunkett claimed to a local newspaper, Times Union, that staff didn’t clearly communicate the reasons behind the delay.
At one point, they claimed, they were told the digital system had gone down and passenger names needed to be manually checked from a piece of paper – forcing people to be moved « off and back on » the aircraft.
Passenger outrage at the lengthy wait was caught on video, with people standing in the aisles of the jet and chanting « let us off, let us off ». One person can also be heard in the footage telling staff: « We are calling 911, let us off the plane ».
Mr and Mrs Plunkett said they were also initially denied food and water during the six-hour delay until one passenger told the crew they were legally entitled to it.
« Nothing was offered until people started to get really angry, » Mrs Plunkett said. « It was just a small cup of water and a bag of pretzels. It almost felt like we were sitting ducks. »
Allegiant reportedly offered travellers a refund for the flight, $200 (£158), and a $150 (£118) voucher as a gesture of « good will. »
A spokesperson for the airline also apologised for not « living up to their own standards » during the unprecedented disruption.
They told CBS6: « Due to severe weather conditions and intermittent power outages at the airport earlier today, several flights departing Albany experienced delays throughout the day.
« This caused a ripple effect with arriving flights, which … had to wait for available gate space before passengers could deplane.
« We’re very sorry for the inconvenience this caused our passengers. We know disruptions to travel plans can be frustrating and thank our passengers for their patience and understanding. »
The Express has contacted Allegiant Air for comment.
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