Over 100 passengers faced uncertainty when a pilot refused to fly an EasyJet aircraft last Wednesday evening, citing a smelly plane.
After boarding, passengers on the Birmingham to Geneva flight were requested to exit the aircraft because the pilot had noticed an unexplained “strange odor” in the back of the cabin. On the tarmac of Birmingham Airport, the pilot informally canceled the flight even though it was only minutes away from takeoff.
Before being told they would be staying in a hotel, passengers—including some with little children and infants—were kept waiting for up to five hours. Although just the pilot reported smelling the strange stench, the decision to cancel the flight was made as a safety measure. The pilot described the scent as chemical.
At 7:40 pm, 106 passengers were instructed to return to the terminal, with the pilot announcing over the tannoy that the bad news is I do not think we’ll be flying tonight.
The situation worsened as passengers faced difficulties proving their flight status due to the EasyJet app deleting their boarding passes upon cancellation, and they initially encountered obstacles in retrieving their baggage.
Some passengers were unaware of being rebooked on a flight the next morning. According to the Civil Aviation Authority, airlines have a legal obligation to provide food, water, and accommodation for delayed flights.
Passengers experiencing cancellations can claim compensation, with amounts reaching up to £220 per person for short-haul and £520 per person for long-haul flights delayed by more than two hours.
A representative from Swissport, unwilling to be identified, acknowledged awareness of the cancellation at 7:30 pm but cited a delay of almost four hours, attributing it to the need to wait for emails before being able to book hotel rooms. “I have had the same information as passengers from the EasyJet app,” they conceded.
