Nesting turtles and technical fault leave Brits ‘marooned’ on Zante
Returning British holidaymakers have been at ‘loggerheads’ with easyJet after being unable to fly home from Zykanthos (Zante) for two days.
Their initial easyJet flight to Gatwick at 2.40pm on Sunday was cancelled due to technical issues and a relief flight was unable to touchdown yesterday evening because of rules on night landings to protect the island’s endangered loggerhead turtles.
One passenger described the scene as ‘total chaos’.
About a quarter are believed to have booked return flights on other airlines, while easyJet said it expected to fly the remaining passengers out on Tuesday afternoon.
EasyJet said: "Unfortunately easyJet was unable to operate the flight EZY8746 from Zante to London Gatwick on Sunday due to a technical fault with the aircraft.
"Engineers were immediately dispatched to Zante and believed that the technical issue was rectified [on Monday], however it then re-occurred before boarding which meant the flight could not operate. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority and we will only operate if it is safe to do so.
"We do all possible to try to minimise delays and as such planned to send a replacement aircraft. Unfortunately, due to the night curfew rule at the airport, we were unable to get the aircraft into the airport on Monday. The flight is now due to depart on Tuesday afternoon."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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