Fault leaves 20 passengers unable to get to Palma Airport
Saturday, February 21st, 2015
Iberia replaced a 90 seat aeroplane with a 50 seat and then offered passengers another airline company to get Majorca or a connection flight with a stop off.
Yesterday at 16.55 twenty passengers were stranded in Ibiza after the airline changed the original aircraft for a smaller one due to a fault.
The same thing happened at the start of February when the flight that should connect Madrid with the Pitiusas islands. On that occasion the flight underwent numerous changes after a unit froze at Granada airport.
Since about half of the passengers from Flight IB8115 didn’t fit in the new aircraft they offered some the possibility to get to Palma by connecting with Air Berlin. Others were assured they would be able to get to the Majorcan capital if they first flew to Barcelona and then link from there to their final destination.
Among those who remained on Ibiza were six members of Club Nautico Sant Antoni. Their expedition was supposed to catch a connection flight that would take them to Menorca, where they are to train for the championship being held next week in Ciutadella, Menorca.
Economy/Motor
The Palma de Mallorca Airport hosted an exhibition for the national launch of the latest electric Audi.
Palma de Mallorca Airport hosted the exhibition for the new electric model Audi which the German motor company named an Audi A3 Sportback e-tron.
On Thursday around 14;00 hours the first group of twenty journalists from the motor industry arrived to test the vehicle over different routes across the Island.
It was estimated that more than fifty journalists from this sector flew to Mallorca during the week to test the vehicle. There were ten models of the A3 which were parked in the Express parking during the week.
Number of ‘air rage’ incidents triples in three years.
Airports advised to impose tougher restrictions on alcohol sales in the departure lounge.
The CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) said 114 cases of ‘disruptive passengers’ were recorded last year, including trying to gain entry to the cockpit, bomb threats, assaults on cabin crew and smoking in the toilets.
The figure for 2014 which is for British planes, compared with 85 instances in 2013, 47 in 2012 and 39 in 2011. The CAA said the 114 incidents recorded last year were a relatively small amount compared to the two million flights which depart UK airports each year.
With passengers consuming large amounts in departure lounges while waiting to board their flight, alcohol has been cited as a key factor in the sharp increase.
‘The number of incidents last year did rise but we have also seen an increase in the number of flights. Cabin crew are getting better trained to deal with incidents and could be reporting more of them.’ Added a CAA spokesman.
There is no excuse for rude or aggressive conduct by passengers towards cabin crew or fellow passengers on board aircraft. It is actually a specific criminal offence to be drunk on board an aircraft, and also to refuse to comply with instructions from the captain.
We support UK airlines’ efforts to deal with disruptive passengers to ensure the safety of all those on board, and welcome criminal prosecutions where appropriate.’
