A blissful holiday on the Greek island of Zakynthos turned into a nightmare for Betty van Brunschot and her family this week. Their return flight to Amsterdam Schiphol, The Netherlands was canceled twice after hours of waiting due to an inoperative air conditioning system. When the family first boarded the aircraft, everything seemed fine, Betty explains. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse as the plane remained stationary while the temperature inside soared.
“First, babies started screaming,” recalls Betty. Other passengers soon began to suffer from the heat as well. With daytime temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius, the heat inside the plane quickly became unbearable without air conditioning. However, passengers were not allowed to leave the plane, a decision made by the Greek authorities, according to Betty.
TUI (fly Netherlands) told RTL Nieuws that the air conditioning would have worked if the engines had been allowed to start, providing additional power. “However, this was not possible on Sunday, as the Greek air traffic control imposed a slot restriction.”
Medical assistance
Soon after, crew members asked if any passengers with medical backgrounds could assist, as some people were becoming unwell. “I was surprised that I was one of the few who could help,” says Betty. According to her, panic quickly spread among the passengers.
“The heat became so intense that the pilot decided to let the passengers disembark,” a TUI spokesperson said. After hours of waiting, Betty and her family were among the passengers taken to a hotel.
Same aircraft the next day
When the family returned to the airport the next morning, they were shocked to see the same plane waiting for them to fly back to the Netherlands. “I couldn’t believe they would put the same people on the same plane without fixing the problem,” says Betty.
But that’s exactly what happened. “It was a repeat of the previous day, only worse. The panic set in immediately when the air conditioning failed again.”
Once again, the delay dragged on, and more passengers fell ill, Betty recounts. “I’ve never felt so powerless as a nurse. It felt like not enough was being done to ensure the safety of everyone on board.”
Back to the hotel
Eventually, the plane was emptied again. One passenger had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance, according to Betty.
“We immediately searched for another aircraft to bring these passengers home,” said the TUI spokesperson. “Due to airport closing times, we couldn’t arrange it that same day. The passengers were put up in a hotel once more.”
The replacement plane finally flew the passengers home on Tuesday, two days later than planned. “We fully understand that this was a very unpleasant experience for them and regret that their holiday ended this way, with their stay unexpectedly extended. We will contact them regarding follow-up and compensation.”
Betty and her family are now safely back home in the Netherlands. Despite everything, she emphasizes to RTL Nieuws that it was still a wonderful vacation.
Note from editor: requesting aircraft registration and flight numbers to complete the article
