A Jet2 plane diverts to Belgrade for a medical emergency, passengers delayed by 16 hours

On 30 August, Jet2 flight LS1526 from Paphos to London Stansted, operated by Boeing 737-800 registered G-DRTN, took off 40 minutes late at 21:12 (UTC+3). Shortly after entering Serbian airspace, the plane diverted to Belgrade due to a medical emergency. It landed in the Serbian capital at 22:25 (UTC+2).

After the ill passenger was disembarked for treatment, the other travellers spent 4 hours on the plane whilst Jet2 tried to negotiate fuel with Serbia. Meanwhile, the crew’s duty time expired. Passengers then had to wait one more hour for a bus to the terminal, followed by a night in Belgrade airport.

On 31 August, the passengers eventually were able to fly home but it was a major disaster: Jet2 sent a new plane (Boeing 737-800 registered G-GDFR) and crew, leaving Manchester as ferry flight EXS015P at 06:10 (UTC+1) and landing at Belgrade at 09:40 (UTC+2), only to be faced with another huge delay whilst Jet2 battled again with getting the plane to be refuelled in Serbia, This was followed by a manual check-in and it was 12:50 when the flight was able to take off from Belgrade to arrive in London Stansted at 14:30 (UTC+1).

The 4-and-a-half-hour flight turned into a 20-hour drama and “very bad communication throughout by Jet2“, said passenger Rosie Washbourne who sent Aviation24.be the photos hereunder.