Flight cancelled on runway
December 30, 2006 01:07pm
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BUDGET airline JetStar cancelled its first Melbourne to Honolulu flight overnight after a breakdown of an important engine part.
The airline declined to identify the specifics of the problem but said the fault had been spotted during final procedural checks as passengers commenced boarding the flight.
"As part of the Qantas group we don't go into specifics of maintenance," Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said.
"There were some mechanical problems which required a part repair and a fair bit of maintenance overnight."
The 270 passengers on the flight, due to depart at 7.40pm (AEDT), were booked into hotels for the night before flying out early this morning.
"Obviously its regrettable, and the fact it's a first service makes it very regrettable," Mr Westaway said.
But disgruntled passenger Christopher Montebello said passengers were disappointed that they had been kept in the dark about why the flight was cancelled.
"I'm disappointed in the way that the people were treated," Mr Montebello said to ABC radio.
"We spent two and a half hours waiting for the plane ... (before being told) there was some sort of technical problem and then, from the technical problem, there was no answer.
"People need to know what's going on, not ferried and pushed and shoved through the lobbies in and out of international services."
Jetstar operates two Melbourne-Honolulu services a week using the three-year-old Airbus 330 aircraft.
The service was launched yesterday, two days after the airline started its Sydney-Honolulu service.