'Too wet' runway hits Coventry Airport flight
30.03.06
A holiday flight set to land at Coventry Airport last night was diverted to another airport 100 miles away because the plane was 'too big' and the runway 'too wet'. About 40 passengers on board were set to disembark in the city at 19:00 after a trip to Spain, but as the jet neared the Baginton airport it was ordered to continue to Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster.
Coventry-bound passengers on the Thomsonfly flight were then put on buses to take them home - a 100-mile trip down the M1 and M69. Many only got home at midnight.
A Thomsonfly spokesman said: 'There was a change in the flight programme which saw the 737-500 change to a 737-800, a larger plane. Due to weather and the fact it was a bigger plane the pilot took the decision to divert the flight to Doncaster which was its final destination.'
'We arranged for coaches and taxis to take people home. It is a small runway at Coventry but it is capable of handling 737-800s. It was just there was a lot of water on the runway. It's safety first at the end of the day.'
To book coventry airport hotel or airport parking coventry at the lowest price, click on these links to two great coventry airport parking and coventry airport hotel price comparison websites.