Concerns after Derry flights touch down in Belfast
18.06.08
Two flights travelling from the City of Derry Airport to Majorca made unscheduled landings at Belfast International Airport to refuel. The Derry Journal reports that passengers on the popular direct flight to Majorca last Tuesday, and on a flight the previous week, were astonished when told they would be touching down at Belfast shortly after take-off from Derry.
The newspaper says that passengers on the Falcon Tours flight, operated by Spanish airline Futura, left Derry at 13:35 last Tuesday only to be told minutes later that they would be making an unscheduled landing at Belfast International to refuel.
A spokesman for Falcon told the Journal that the two stops had been made for ‘operational reasons.’ He said: ‘We regret any inconvenience caused but the health and safety of our passengers is always our first and foremost priority. If the captain of the aircraft feels the plane needs more fuel to get from A to B, then it is a healthy and safety issue.’
A Derry City council spokeswoman said management at the airport had requested a meeting with Falcon Tours to discuss the situation. She added: ‘The airport expects that the tour operator will deal with these issues as a matter of urgency as the direct charter summer flights provide a important service for the region.'
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