Eurowings pilot asks passengers to disembark, then plane takes off empty for Mallorca

Passengers at Saarbrücken Airport were left shocked and frustrated when a fully boarded Eurowings flight to Mallorca EW6819 was cancelled, only for the plane to later take off empty.

The flight, scheduled for 11:05, was initially delayed due to weather issues at Palma de Mallorca, with passengers enduring hours on board before being asked to disembark. While they were stretching their legs, the Airbus A320 registered 9H-EUR suddenly departed without them at 14:16.

According to a Eurowings spokesperson, the empty flight was necessary to maintain landing slots at Palma, which reopened earlier than expected. Reboarding passengers would have caused delays, risking the loss of the slot and exceeding crew duty hours. Despite meal vouchers and alternative flight offers for the next day, many passengers were left deeply disappointed and ended up cancelling their holiday plans.