Virgin Atlantic pax stuck on 747 at KBDL
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Virgin Atlantic pax stuck on 747 at KBDL
Does anyone have information on the VS plane that was stuck on the ramp at KBDL? Virgin says the crew was refused on a request to disembark the pax into the int'l terminal because no Customs and Immigration officials were available. US CBP says that that is wrong. Press says the pax were on the plane un-air-conditioned without food and water. The US news is screaming for passenger "bill of rights" be applied to foreign carriers that operate in the US.
Any info?
GF
Any info?
GF
I suspect that all the information is here on the forum but not in the rumors and news section.
The news never gets this stuff balanced, so try for some SLF and crew coments
The news never gets this stuff balanced, so try for some SLF and crew coments
Some additional information
A diverted plane that sat on the tarmac at Bradley International Airport for more than four hours with 300 passengers - Courant.com
The question is always how do you fix it? rather than who do you blame..
The wife suggested that all international airports with temporary immigation staff have a secured holding area for up to 400 passengers (bathrooms etc.) to get them out of the plane after XX hours
A diverted plane that sat on the tarmac at Bradley International Airport for more than four hours with 300 passengers - Courant.com
The question is always how do you fix it? rather than who do you blame..
The wife suggested that all international airports with temporary immigation staff have a secured holding area for up to 400 passengers (bathrooms etc.) to get them out of the plane after XX hours
Official: Plane Sat For Hours Before Pilot Asked For Customs
WINDSOR LOCKS — — A diverted plane that sat on the tarmac at Bradley International Airport for more than four hours with 300 passengers, some of whom fell ill, had been grounded for two and a half hours before the airport was notified it would not fly to its destination, an airport spokesman said Thursday.
It was 11 p.m. Tuesday when Bradley was notified that passengers needed to get off the plane, said John Wallace. At that late hour, the airport had to call U.S. Customs to open its office, which is in a detached building on airport grounds, he said.
One customs employee was working at the time, but the person couldn't singlehandedly process 300 people and their luggage, Wallace said. Because the airport has limited international flights, the customs office operates only during regular business hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., he said.
The Virgin Atlantic plane, which was headed from London to Newark, was diverted to Bradley Tuesday because of bad weather. It landed about 8:30 p.m., Wallace said, after which it fueled up.
The plane also had some equipment issues, he said. The airline could not confirm that or answer other questions Thursday afternoon, except to say that the passengers eventually were brought to Newark by bus. The company is still gathering information, a spokeswoman said.
"As always, the safety and welfare of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance to us," the company stated in an e-mail. "Virgin Atlantic would like to thank passengers for their patience and apologize for any inconvenience caused."
Wallace said it wasn't until 11 p.m. that the pilot notified airport staff that the flight had been terminated, and that passengers needed get off the plane.
"Up until 11 o'clock, that was not part of the scenario," he said. "It was a live flight situation."
The customs operation was up and running in about an hour and 15 minutes, Wallace said, which he said "I don't think … is an unreasonable amount of time." He couldn't confirm an Associated Press report that a customs official had threatened to have passengers arrested if they got off the plane.
A U.S. Customs spokesman could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.
Some passengers became ill and even passed out in the hot, dark plane. A new rule puts a three-hour limit on the time that airlines can keep passengers waiting in planes, but it doesn't apply to foreign airlines.
WINDSOR LOCKS — — A diverted plane that sat on the tarmac at Bradley International Airport for more than four hours with 300 passengers, some of whom fell ill, had been grounded for two and a half hours before the airport was notified it would not fly to its destination, an airport spokesman said Thursday.
It was 11 p.m. Tuesday when Bradley was notified that passengers needed to get off the plane, said John Wallace. At that late hour, the airport had to call U.S. Customs to open its office, which is in a detached building on airport grounds, he said.
One customs employee was working at the time, but the person couldn't singlehandedly process 300 people and their luggage, Wallace said. Because the airport has limited international flights, the customs office operates only during regular business hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., he said.
The Virgin Atlantic plane, which was headed from London to Newark, was diverted to Bradley Tuesday because of bad weather. It landed about 8:30 p.m., Wallace said, after which it fueled up.
The plane also had some equipment issues, he said. The airline could not confirm that or answer other questions Thursday afternoon, except to say that the passengers eventually were brought to Newark by bus. The company is still gathering information, a spokeswoman said.
"As always, the safety and welfare of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance to us," the company stated in an e-mail. "Virgin Atlantic would like to thank passengers for their patience and apologize for any inconvenience caused."
Wallace said it wasn't until 11 p.m. that the pilot notified airport staff that the flight had been terminated, and that passengers needed get off the plane.
"Up until 11 o'clock, that was not part of the scenario," he said. "It was a live flight situation."
The customs operation was up and running in about an hour and 15 minutes, Wallace said, which he said "I don't think … is an unreasonable amount of time." He couldn't confirm an Associated Press report that a customs official had threatened to have passengers arrested if they got off the plane.
A U.S. Customs spokesman could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.
Some passengers became ill and even passed out in the hot, dark plane. A new rule puts a three-hour limit on the time that airlines can keep passengers waiting in planes, but it doesn't apply to foreign airlines.
