Brisbane airport drama for AirAsia passengers

[Naim 6]

Premesh Chandran

Dec 29, 09

7:05pm

 

"What was supposed to be a routine 10-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Gold Coast turned into a 18-hour flight with failed multiple landings, ending with passengers demanding to be allowed to disembark at nearby Brisbane airport."

 

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/120799

 

So what transpired there?

[Radzi 2]

Difficult to say, since I am not a Malaysiakini subscriber.

[Adam Amir 0]

woah, lucky the plane has 8 hour worth of extra fuel

[Tony 1]

Bad weather south of Brisbane. Cooly and Ballina airports closed due to severe weather. Plenty of flight diversions and cancellations.

Not sure if the D7 refuelled in BNE before redeparting out to OOL though.

[Andi C 0]

Family spends seven hours on plane

 

Bianca Clare | 1st January 2010

 

A SUNSHINE Coast family who spent seven hours stranded on a plane on the tarmac at Brisbane Airport has likened the experience to being held ransom by terrorists.

 

Ron Pratt, his wife Marina and their son Jaymin, 11, had to endure the agonising wait with only rations of food and water.

 

The ordeal began when their AirAsia X flight left Kuala Lumpur on December 28 at 7.40pm Queensland time and flew into the Gold Coast at 7.50am in wet weather.

 

Visibility was so poor the aircraft was forced to divert to Brisbane for the first time in the two years that AirAsia X has been operating into Gold Coast.

 

Several hours later, after refuelling in Brisbane and being advised by air traffic control weather had cleared, the flight took off for the Gold Coast.

 

However, on approach, the weather took a turn for the worse, leading to four failed landing attempts.

 

The flight was diverted back to Brisbane for refuelling again.

 

Delays were further experienced in Brisbane the second time due to congestion at the airport.

 

At this time passengers were given the option to disembark, but were told AirAsia X did not have either the resources or time to offload baggage.

 

Concerned about their luggage, the Pratt’s stayed onboard.

 

During the third approach into the Gold Coast, the weather had again deteriorated, but with some openings through the clouds, the captain performed a safe landing just after 4pm.

 

“We do not hold AirAsia to be irresponsible professionally in any way for the conduct of the flight,” Mr Pratt said. “What we don’t understand is how or why more than 300 passengers could be held at ransom like we’re hostages?

 

“One irate Australian passenger trying to leave was tackled, handcuffed and led away by airport police.”

 

AirAsia sent an email out to the passengers of the flight apologising.

 

“We truly apologise for the discomfort you faced,” it read.

 

“Rest assured, we(’re) looking into improving our service recovery process to reduce discomfort to our valued guests at times like this.

 

“Kindly note that passenger safety is of paramount importance to us.

 

“We apologise that you were kept onboard throughout the seven hour-plus ordeal.”

 

Source: http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2010/01/01/family-spends-seven-hours-stuck-on-plane/

[Waiping 12]

I would like to know what is the standard guidelines in issue such as this. I don't really think there is anything wrong on D7's part except maybe that "we do not have the resources to move the luggage". Maybe this is due to cash issue. Normally airlines do not allow for disembarkation at another airport in the event of diversion, right?

 

As for “One irate Australian passenger trying to leave was tackled, handcuffed and led away by airport police”, this is not really D7's fault, right? Since the passenger was arrested by the Australian Authority.

[Ahmad M 1]

My only concern is the duty period for the pilots, 18 hours with multiple sectors surely is more than their Flight Time Limitations allow?

[Peter Smith 1]

A SUNSHINE Coast family who spent seven hours stranded on a plane on the tarmac at Brisbane Airport has likened the experience to being held ransom by terrorists.

Reading lines like this at the beginning of an article, certainly just how much credit (or in this case, lack of) the article should be given. How can anything like this be said, I'd be willing to bet every dollar I will ever earn on the fact, this family has never been held by terrorists!!!

[BC Tam 2]

How can anything like this be said, I'd be willing to bet every dollar I will ever earn on the fact, this family has never been held by terrorists!!!

 

Two years ago we were 'detained' on board a China Southern bird for close to 6.5 hours at Wenzhou due to low visibility at intended destination (Hangzhou)

In comparison to description of AK pax's, I think we were very much better behaved back then

The sight of armed security personnel standing guard at bottom of steps was probably a strong motivating factor - one certainly does not want to be "tackled, handcuffed and led away by airport police" there, however irate one may be !

[Tony 1]

Seriously, where do the passengers think they can go even if they were let off the plane? You let them to stay onboard, they complain. You let them out and bus them down, they say you're ripping off their $$ because they wanted to "fly" down to OOL, not by bus.

 

Do they not get the point that it's the blardy weather they should be blaming for them being held like terrorist (what the elves seriously...)??!!

[C.Foo 3]

Typical Aussie behavior no suprise like that of schoolies every year. Would have been easier if the people who want to go at bne go and ones who want ool stay on board.

[Mushrif A 3]

Reading lines like this at the beginning of an article, certainly just how much credit (or in this case, lack of) the article should be given. How can anything like this be said, I'd be willing to bet every dollar I will ever earn on the fact, this family has never been held by terrorists!!!

 

Maybe D7 did make an announcement to pax that if they fail to land at OOL, then D7 will execute them one by one. Fortunately, they did land at OOL in the end.