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Passengers onboard an Allegiant Air flight chanted “let us off” after being stranded on the tarmac at Albany International Airport for six hours on Monday (17 February).
Allegiant flight 848 had left the gate for deicing behind schedule, before a planned three-hour journey from New York state to Punta Gorda, Florida.
The flight was forced to return to the gate once crew members “timed out” and reached their legal limit for time flown in 24 hours.
Video footage shows passengers, including young children, standing in the aisles chanting “let us off, let us off”, with one heard saying: “We are calling 911, let us off the plane.”
Passengers told CBS6 that they were denied water during the six-hour ordeal.
The airline blamed bad “weather conditions” and “intermittent power outages” at Albany airport for the lengthy departure delay.
Flight 848 had been scheduled to board from 12.15pm.
Those on board said the aircraft switched between three to four gates before passengers entered the cabin at around 3.30pm.
The flight was eventually cancelled and finally disembarked at 10.15pm local time.
A spokesperson for Allegiant Air said in a statement to CBS6: “Due to severe weather conditions and intermittent power outages at the airport earlier today, several flights departing Albany experienced delays throughout the day. This caused a ripple effect with arriving flights, which have had to wait for available gate space before passengers could deplane.”
It added: “We’re very sorry for the inconvenience this caused our passengers. We know disruptions to travel plans can be frustrating and thank our passengers for their patience and understanding.”
The airline has since offered affected passengers a refund for the cancelled flight, an additional $200 and a $150 voucher for future travel as a “gesture of goodwill”.
The Independent has contacted Allegiant Air for comment.
It’s not the first time passengers have found themselves stationary on the tarmac instead of taking off.
Last June, dozens of passengers on an IndiGo plane bound for Delhi decided to have their dinner on the airport tarmac after thick fog caused delays of up to 12 hours.
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast
