A British Airways passenger is set to receive $2,550 after he was forced to wait seven hours on the tarmac.
According to a BelfastLive report, Kiemon Stewart was set to fly from London’s Heathrow Airport to Belfast on 2 October. However, the Royal Air Force pilot alum’s plane was severely delayed due to weather reports that caused the aircraft to miss its take-off time.
The airport had received concerns about possible thunderstorms and heavy rain. Air traffic control held the plane, but the plane had to be refueled by the time the sky cleared. Unfortunately, take-off was delayed further when both the pilots and the crew deboarded the aircraft because they had already reached their maximum work hours.
At this point, passengers were still in their seats, waiting for an entire new airline staff to arrive. Though the plane eventually left London and landed in Belfast, ticketed individuals were reportedly only handed one bag of pretzels and a single drink each as they waited on the stationary aircraft.
The flight arrived at its destination seven hours after the initial estimated time. Stewart wasn’t pleased with the experience, labeling the sequence of delays a “comedy of errors”. To seek compensation, the individual filed in Northern Ireland’s small-claims court.
Though the aircraft was first told to stay back because of the weather reports, BelfastLive said Stewart claimed this was “only a contributing factor”. “Operational and commercial decisions and actions” was what Stewart identified as British Airway’s true issue.
British Airways didn’t argue or oppose Stewart’s claim. As a result, the airline was directed by the court to pay the passenger $2,550.
In a statement to The Independent, a representative for British Airways noted: “We’re sorry for the delay that our customers faced due to air traffic control restrictions put in place as a result of adverse weather across London and the South East of England on the day of their flight.”
British Airways faced criticism recently for allegedly telling its female crew members what colour bra they needed to wear underneath their uniforms. The Sun first reported on the supposed dress code being updated upon the airline’s new uniforms being released.
After the flight attendants’ union resisted the strict requirement, British Airways overturned it. The old dress code read: “Undergarments should be plain white or nude, with no lace, patterns or writing.”
“We’ve removed a recommendation from our uniform guidelines and will continue to listen to our colleagues about what works best for them,” a spokesperson for the airline told The Independent.
A Paddle Your Own Kanoo article reported on a statement made by the British Airways Stewards and Stewardess’ Union.
The union said to its members: “Incredible that we found ourselves in the awkward position of having to discuss what underwear our female members were ‘allowed’ to wear in 2023.”
“However, with a huge number of female members, that was exactly the uncomfortable place in which we found ourselves,” the statement continued. “It could be argued that we wouldn’t have even been in this position if the blouse wasn’t transparent in the first place!”
