Brits are left stranded in 'war zone' conditions for 17 hours
By JAMES REYNOLDS
British passengers were left stranded in 'war zone' conditions for over 17 hours after a flight was diverted due to a 'drunk' couple smoking onboard.
A flight from Cancun, Mexico to Gatwick, London was forced to divert to Bangor International Airport in Maine, U.S. on Tuesday after an incident on board.
About an hour after take-off, the captain announced that two passengers were smoking in the toilets, warning further incidents would force the plane to land.
Hours later, and with the issue still unresolved, the flight landed in the United States and the smokers were hauled off the plane.
Passengers said they were held in their seats for five long hours before being taken off the tarmac.
British passenger Terry Lawrance, 66, said it was like a 'war zone', with people camped out on rows of airbeds at the airport.
The flight was abandoned as the original crew were not able to continue the journey due to legal working hours, leaving passengers stranded overnight.
Rows of camp beds as passengers awaited updates on their flight in Bangor, Maine, U.S.
'It was like a warzone in a lounge - rows and rows of beds,' Terry said
As a relief flight was dispatched from the UK to the US, the passengers were left waiting on camp beds through the night.
A flight to take the passengers back to Gatwick ultimately took off at 3pm local time (8pm BST) on Wednesday, July 9, and landed safely in the UK.
Videos taken by Terry show rows of beds as passengers awaited updates.
Another video shows vehicles approaching the plane after touching down in Bangor.
'We were there for over 12 hours - it all went pear shaped,' Terry said. 'Everybody was fed up.'
He described the grab for beds as something of a 'free for all'.
'It was like a warzone in a lounge - rows and rows of beds. All our luggage was still on the plane whilst we waited,' he said.
'After an hour the captain came on and said someone had been smoking in the toilet - he read the riot act and said if it continues, we'd have to divert.
Should airlines introduce bans for poor behaviour?
Yes
No
'About three hours later, around the border with Canada and he came on to let us know that the plane was being diverted to Bangor, Maine.
'Once we landed, they removed the two passengers,' Terry explained, describing them as 'drunk'.
'The captain then said we'd be getting going again once the paperwork has been done.
'We were sat on the plane on the ground for five hours - the plane started taxing again and we thought 'great' and then they said there was a problem with flight plan, and we have to get off.
'Next thing, we're not going anywhere, and we've got to stay in this small lounge.'
Passengers in Europe more broadly have been warned they can expect to face the worst ever year for delays at airports over the summers as short-staffed crews contend with surging demand for foreign travel.
British passenger Terry Lawrance, 66, said it was like a 'war zone', with passengers camped out on rows of airbeds
Passengers sat on the plane waiting to be taken off. The smokers were quickly removed
One senior EU official told the FT on Wednesday that after the 'worst summer ever' for delays and cancellations last year, 'this year will be very similar.'
In April, Eurocontrol, the continent's air traffic control body, reported that air traffic was already up five per cent compared to the same period in 2024, with delays rising in tandem.
This year, the situation is made worse by airport strikes, particularly in France, where tens of thousands of passengers have already been affected by walkouts by air traffic controllers.
Eurocontrol warns that a lack of air traffic control capacity is expected to cause 'high delays' in nine countries, including France, Spain, Germany and Greece.
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