Engineer had to be ‘f lown in’ to fix tyre
Ryanair plane to Cork delayed ten hours at Gatwick
RYANAIR passengers had to wait more than ten hours for their flight to take off because the airline didn’t have anybody available to change one of the plane’s tyres.
Flight FR9853 had been due to land in Cork at around 1.40pm on Monday from London Gatwick.
Departure time at Gatwick was initially postponed because the plane suffered what the airline later said was ‘a technical issue’.
And in a further blow for passengers, a nail was then discovered in one of the plane’s tyres.
As a result, there were more delays because there was no Ryanair engineer available at Gatwick to change the tyre.
The engineer, along with a new flight crew, had to be flown in from another airport.
Passengers saw him arrive, pushing the new tyre in front of Work: The engineer pushed the new wheel along the ground him along the runaway. The plane importance of safety and could eventually took off and then hardly begrudge Ryanair the time landed at Cork Airport on Monday trying to sort the problem out. night – just before midnight. ‘But it is the way they handled
Passenger Elaine Buckley this that is the issue. All anybody criticised to way Ryanair handled got directly from the airline were the matter. texts and emails.’
‘There was a notable lack of Ms Buckley – who first gave basic compassion from Ryanair,’ details of the flight in an interview the events organiser, from Cork, to Opinion Line, on her local told the Irish Daily Mail last radio station, Cork’s 96FM – night. ‘Nobody from the airline added: ‘When we eventually got spoke to us. Instead, we had to onto the plane late in the afternoon, rely on Gatwick Airport staff to we were told to get back off give us some important updates. it again.
‘Everyone understands the ‘The pilot said this was because a nail had been found in a tyre, and we were told that an engineer had to be sent to change the tyre from Stansted Airport.
‘Eventually, a small jet arrived and a new crew got out, with an engineer pushing the new wheel along the ground in front of him.’
A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that a nail in one of the plane’s tyres was responsible for some of the ten-hour delay.
On the alleged lack of communication, the airline spokesman said: ‘Ryanair’s third-party handling agents were at London Gatwick airport and available to assist passengers.
‘In addition, Ryanair contacted all affected customers by email and text message, kept them regularly updated, provided them with refreshment vouchers, and worked hard to minimise this delay.’
‘Notable lack of basic compassion’