Holidaymakers face travel chaos
» Planes grounded over safety concerns »
sought to operate flights. It could spell chaos over Easter and the summer.
Airlines will seek to minimise disruption by using larger aircraft or keeping older planes flying.
Yesterday Norwegian Airlines apologised for cancellations and delays, but added: “The safety and security of our customers and colleagues will never be
FEARS Brian Strutton One of TUI’s MAX 8 fleet compromised.” TUI said customers due to travel in the coming days will be able to travel as planned on other aircraft. Passengers will not be entitled to compensation as this will be ruled a “hidden manufacturing defect”. But airlines must provide other flights and, if delays occur, cover the cost of hotels and meals. The Boeing airliners are also grounded in Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, South Korea and Singapore. And last night there were calls to ground them in the US.
Despite the question-marks hanging over the links between Sunday’s crash and another last October in Indonesia, the CAA said the directive, in place until further notice, was “a precautionary measure”.
It affects multiple airlines flying in and out of the UK, including Turkish Airlines, Icelandair and Air Canada. Some passengers were already in the air when the ban was announced including two Turkish Airlines planes flying from Istanbul to Birmingham and Gatwick. Both turned around
Two TUI MAX 8’s coming in to Manchester were allowed to land.
Around 300 people due to fly to Istanbul were stranded at Birmingham and Gatwick, while 450 holidaymakers heading to Fuerteventura had to wait 90 minutes while replacement planes were shuffled around in Manchester. Rory Boland, Which? Travel Editor, said: “Passengers may be breathing a sigh of relief that the regulator has taken precautionary action to ground Boeing 737 MAX planes in the UK.”
Boeing said: “Safety is Boeing’s number one priority and we have full confidence in the safety of the MAX.”