Posted on 06/23/2010 9:58:59 AM PDT by Species8472
Three hundred travelers started the summer with an airplane nightmare they will not soon forget.
Hundreds of Newark-bound passengers sat for four hours on a tarmac in a stifling cabin after bad weather diverted their flight from London in Connecticut and union regulations grounded it there.
To make matters worse, passengers said, the plane's generators shut down for the second time, leaving them with no air conditioning and sweltering temperatures that reached 100 degrees.
Some people on the inauspicious Virgin Atlantic flight fainted from the heat, said Andrew Porwancher, of Princeton, N.J. One passenger was taken to a hospital, but airline officials said there is no evidence to link this with the flight.
"It was like four hours on the ground without any air conditioning. It was crazy. Just crazy,'' passenger Beth Willan told CNN. "There were babies on the plane. And we are in dark and hot. You try to be patient but people were yelling and screaming.''
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnewyork.com ...
More like Union Fools.....Just think how much better the world would be without groups of thugs and bullies called Unions?
Union rules? I am surprised no one died.
Not to be the internet tough guy, but I PROMISE you, if I had an infant in 100degree weather needlessly waiting on a tarmac, we’re getting off the plane....
“One passenger was taken to a hospital, but airline officials said there is no evidence to link this with the flight.”
Yeah, 100 degrees baking for 10 hours has no effect on health.
I WILL NEVER FLY VIRGIN!
Some of those people were like GOING to Connecticut. Buses (CT Limo, etc.) could have gotten others to the airport of their choice. People should have been allowed to leave if they wished.
Yep....and Richard Branson has some ‘splainin’ to do.
Charlie Foxtrot from the word go.
The FAA diverted an international flight to a non-international airport ... and did NOT call customs?
Also ... “Even before the flight left Heathrow Airport, there were problems. The generators were not working, so neither was the air conditioning system, passengers said. The flight was supposed to leave at 5:33 p.m., London time. Two hours later, with the plane fixed, the flight took off for Newark.”
Just ‘cuz your APU won’t run doesn’t mean you can’t run your AC. **IF** you light up one of the actual engines, you can run the air conditioners.
I cannot believe there was no contingency to off-load the passengers into a secure area of the terminal with climate control and basic sanitation.
And this is the govt that wants to run healthcare, and EVERYTHING.
What a bunch of cry-babies!
Horrible! That’s like locking your baby in a hot car in the Walmart parking lot.
I’m surprised that nobody died.
Assault charges should be leveled. There has to be a better way than our current system of air travel, and someone stands to make a lot of money by figuring it out.
So.. Hows all that passenger protection BS working out for ya?
I would have gotten off that plane, even if it meant getting arrested. There is NO JUSTIFICATION for this. None.
Once arrested I would sue the airlines, the unions, the US government for false imprisonment.
There are certain (very rare) situations where the passengers need to open the cabin doors on their own as a last resort.
Give the flight crew a 5 minute heads up to open things up or else.
You’re not being a tough guy, just being sensible.
What they did was hold the passengers hostage and in a dangerous situation.
They should be sued, and then made to sit on the tarmac for a day or so, then jailed.
I wouldn't need an infant as justification to get off. I wouldn't wait four hours in 100 degree heat either. I'd tell the crew, open the door or I'll open it for you.
Haven’t flown for fifteen years or more and don’t plan to ever again. Have nothing but pity for those who must.
I’m sorry, but why did those people tolerate being treated that way? Was someone holding a gun on them? People who sit there like helpless idiots deserve to be treated as such.
I would have popped an emergency door in a heart beat.
you would almost have to die to get off a plane like that
“Are you telling us everything?”
“No...we’re also out of coffee.”
“AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!”
I would have popped an emergency door in a heart beat.
Bingo. I would do exaclty that; and in a lot less than 4 hours.
Isn’t Bradley an international airport? Why no customs? What may have been the case is that they didn’t necessarily have the computers and staff necessary to process foreigners properly.
Can’t just open the door and let them all head for the hills. These guys are flying in from Londonistan.
Still, call in security and then pen them all up in a quarantine area and then provide assistance to the stranded.
It’s as if nobody ever imagined something like this would EVER happen.
Between the unions and the USG, this is what universal healthcare looks like.
Chest Pain!
I must have missed the union angle in the article. Help me out.
Pilots Union.
From the NBC story: While grounded,
the pilots went over their allotted flight time.
Pilots Union.
From the NBC story: While grounded,
the pilots went over their allotted flight time.
So why is BDL called Bradley INTERNATIONAL Airport??
Heard what went on from a guy whom I talk to often who works as a bus driver.
This is why you are disarmed on a plane. If you had your Glock you’d be able to go where you want.
Methinks it’s honest work for the trial bar. Sue everybody, starting with the union!
I’m down in Tampa now. I have a destination wedding, 27 folks from England, down here tomorrow. Wondering if we will have stories at the wedding !?
That is a surprise for me, because they take in flights from “Air Canada”, but no other international jet service.
I fly occasionally for work, but never for vacation or on my own. I truly hope there weren't any animals in the cargo hold on this plane...they would have baked to death.
I am just surprised that the airplane was able to find Bradley.
That would have used up kerosene, lightening Richard Branson's pocket.
What happens if you open the emergency exits? Do they open without action by the captain? Do the slides deploy?
That is ALWAYS a worry for me, animals doing flights and in a special way, dogs and cats. Plus I have had not flown since 2002, the last flight, which was from western PA, I ended up with a bad summertime cold that made me one sick kitten. =^..^=
So why is BDL called Bradley INTERNATIONAL Airport??
Clearly either the "reporter" or the "Virgin Atlantic officials" were either mistaken or deliberately wrong. The name "Bradley Airport" is a misnomer. Wonderful job of fact checking by NBC New York, huh...
Neah. Its Virgin.
Once upon a time, on vacation, I took a flight from Brussels to London on Virgin.
First the flight was delayed.
Then, after a couple of hours, it was canceled.
After another couple of hours, a new plane was assigned. Passengers were “comped” a drink up to $10. Woohoo.
My luggage didn’t make it with the flight. I was scheduled to go straight to Leeds (visit Royal Armories there) then to Oxford to stay there and tour Oxford and Duxford the next day.
Instead I had to stay in London so my luggage could catch up with me. I wanted to scream at the agents, but its not their fault, so I choked my anger down. I did write a nasty letter - and never heard back.
Since I was staying in an “unofficial” bed and breakfast (there is a heck of a tax on the official ones...) my hosts were a bit surprised (and worried) when I showed up two days early. Fortunately, they were very accommodating. And my luggage caught up with me, that evening.
Virgin Airline sucks. I won’t fly them ever again.
It's really not, it's actually "Bradley National Airport" - in the 1970's, a couple of young hooples spraypainted "inter" on top of the main building and all of the airport signs when no one was looking... ;-)
International Arrivals Building
In December 2002, a new International Arrivals Building opened to the west of Terminal B.[5] This new International Arrivals Building houses the Federal Inspection Station and has one jetway for deboarding the aircraft. The IAB replaced the old FIS in Terminal B and will be enlarged as volume demands.[13] Two government agencies provide crucial support at the facility, these agencies are: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The FIS Terminal (International Arrivals Building) is a two-story, 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m2) facility adjacent to Terminal B and the recently constructed Remote Deicing Collection Facility. This entire Construction project included the FIS Terminal and associated landside and airside improvements; entrance roadway, sidewalks and concrete hardstand for arriving aircraft parking. The FIS Terminal can process more than 300 passengers per hour from aircraft as large as a Boeing 747. International departures will be handled from the existing terminal complex. This facility cost approximately $7.7 million, which included the building and site work.
. . .
All international arrivals except for those from airports with customs preclearance are processed through the IAB.
But no need to confuse NBC News with anything remotely resembling a "fact"...
Sen. Franken calls for immediate investigation of airline policy
thanks, Weird Al.
http://franken.senate.gov/?p=issue&id=208
Airline passengers should have assurance of safe, secure, comfortable travel. In the early morning hours of August 8, 2009, the 47 passengers of Continental Airlines flight 2816 spent six hours stranded inside a small plane. Although they were safe on the tarmac, all the passengers were forced to remain on the plane without food and in an uncomfortable cabin atmosphere. In October 2009, Senator Franken wrote to Transportation Secretary LaHood urging him to conduct a comprehensive examination of such incidents to determine whether new regulations or federal actions were necessary. In December 2009, Secretary LaHood announced a new rule that establishes a three hour time limit after which U.S. airlines must allow passengers to deplane from domestic flights. Additionally, airline carriers are required to provide food and drinking water for passengers within two hours of the aircraft being delayed on the tarmac, maintain operable lavatories, and if necessary, provide medical attention to passengers. Senator Franken will continue to examine policy options to help ensure the safety, security, and comfort of all airline passengers.
We all know union rules trump all other rules.
I guess the kings court is never wanting for a fool...
You can open the doors without deploying slides.
Yeah didn’t they have a regular KLM flight to Amsterdam not too long ago?
Geez, they could have diverted them to Logan or Providence, it is not exactly that far by air.
No, I don’t either. The quote from the NBC article: “and union regulations grounded it there.”
And
“During the ordeal, pilots exceeded their maximum flight time and the plane had to stay grounded so after all that, the passengers still couldn’t reach their Newark destination.”
That’s where I got my assumption, (quite possibly wrong), that it was the pilot’s union. That was the only thing close to a union mentioned.
One used to be able to fly to Amsterdam and the Carribbean islands a few years ago but the airlines pulled out of the market so the customs and immigrations desks closed. It is still rated as capable of accommodating long haul jets but none land there anymore
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