An EasyJet flight had to return to the UK city from which it had departed due to “safety concerns”. On Sunday (December 14), passengers boarded the 3.10pm flight from Liverpool John Lennon Airport. The plane landed at its destination airport on the Isle of Man just over 30 minutes later at 3.45pm, but passengers aboard the aircraft were soon told they could not disembark.
The captain declared the aircraft would head back to Liverpool at around 5pm. One traveler said those onboard were given water during the hold-up and kids were allowed to visit the cockpit while they waited. An Isle of Man Airport spokesperson said the steps were not deployed due to the fierce winds, which aligns with the safety measure's laid out by the airport's ground handling provider, Menzies Aviation.
The spokesperson said: “Isle of Man Airport wishes to apologize to passengers affected by disruption yesterday.
“Due to strong and gusting winds, aircraft steps could not be safely deployed on some flights in line with established safety limits operated by the airport's ground handling provider, Menzies Aviation.
“These limits are in place to protect passengers while boarding and disembarking. The variable wind conditions meant that flights were affected differently.
“As a result, some services were canceled or diverted, and in one case an aircraft landed safely but passengers were unable to disembark and the aircraft subsequently returned to its departure airport.
“The airport continues to work closely with its service partners and operators to minimize disruption and ensure the highest standards of safety during adverse weather conditions.”
Geoffrey Pugh, the airport's interim director, added: 'We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of yesterday's high winds.
“These were unusual circumstances and safety must always come first. While these measures are necessary to protect everyone at the airport, we understand the disruption this caused and appreciate the patience shown by those affected.”
An easyJet spokesperson said: “Due to strong winds on the Isle of Man yesterday evening resulting in ground handling services being suspended, customers on flight EZY517 from Liverpool were unable to disembark and as the weather was not expected to improve, the flight returned to Liverpool and was cancelled.
“The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is easyJet's highest priority and we did all possible to minimize the impact of the weather for our customers, providing the option to rebook or receive a refund, as well as hotel accommodation and meals for those who required them.
“While this was outside of our control, we are very sorry customers for the inconvenience caused.”