Computer fault causes 10 hour delay at Newcastle Airport
30.08.08
Hundreds of frustrated passengers were delayed for more than 10 hours in Newcastle Airport - because staff could not print off the flight plan. The holiday makers booked on Monarch flight 325 to Cancun, Mexico, are reported to have became increasingly agitated after they were left sitting in the departure lounge.
The Journal reports that some passengers arrived at the airport at 04:00 yesterday, ready for the flight scheduled to depart at 07:00. The departure screen told customers at 07:00 that they would be boarding in three minutes – and then stayed like that for the next six hours.
Monarch Holidays told the newspaper that a computer failure meant they were unable to print out or access information about the flight plan, passengers or weather conditions, and were unable to take off without them.
A spokeswoman said: ‘Unfortunately there was a system failure so they couldn’t print it off. I presume they would have spoken to them [the passengers] but they couldn’t give them an exact departure time. We had 10 passengers on the flight who had then gone airside, and our representative can’t go through.’
The flight eventually took off at 14:15, seven and a quarter hours late. The spokeswoman added there would be no compensation for a delay of that length, but passengers had received a £6 food voucher.
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