Edinburgh passengers have shared how they were "stuck" on an aircraft for hours after delays prevented it from leaving the runway.
Those on board the Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul had boarded at Edinburgh Airport as planned on Wednesday morning (July 20), ahead of their 10.40am departure time. However, delays loading baggage onto the flight caused the plane to be unable to taxi out of the airport, with a full plane of passengers told to remain on board "for hours".
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Still stationary in Edinburgh more than three hours later, one passenger told Edinburgh Live they had been provided with no refreshments, and told they were unable to return to the departures lounge. They said: "We are over-heating, we're all crammed on a plane, kids too hot and are playing up, no offer of water or food why we wait.
"Why don't they take us back into airport where we can sit comfortably and get some food, go to toilet etc. We have been sitting for hours." The plane is understood to have finally taken off shortly before 2pm.
A Swissport spokesperson said: “We apologise to passengers who experienced a delay to their flight. In busy periods such as the current peak travel time, the knock-on effects of delays across the travel process, such as air traffic issues, short-shipped luggage and late changes to flight schedules, can create challenging conditions for baggage handlers. We have brought in additional staff to help our team and we’re working closely with our partners to improve turnaround times."
Turkish Airlines has been approached for comment.
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