Passengers Refused Compensation After Aircraft Damages Wing

Fearful passengers who alerted the cabin crew when a wing of their plane was damaged at Vancouver airport received no compensation for the 16-hour delay, despite being forced to sleep in a conference room. The incident occurred when a MyTravel Airways Airbus A330-200 aircraft, taxiing towards the runway, struck a stationary plane, causing a small part of the wing to fall off. The pilot continued towards the take-off position, and it was only after a passenger buzzed the cabin crew that they were alerted to the damage.

Key Takeaways:

• Passengers on a MyTravel Airways flight from Vancouver to Manchester experienced a 16-hour delay after the aircraft damaged a wing while taxiing towards the runway.
• The passengers were forced to sleep in a conference room at a hotel, without mattresses or blankets, for part of the delay.
• The airline, MyTravel Airways, is not required to pay compensation due to the flight being delayed rather than cancelled.
• Canadian Affair, the tour operator that chartered the flight, offered 50% off a future flight as a "gesture of goodwill" but did not provide any compensation for the delay.
• The incident has sparked concerns about the use of conference rooms as temporary sleep spaces during delays, which may be a minor breach of EU regulations.
• The Air Transport Users' Council has stated that as the plane was delayed rather than cancelled, the airline is not required to pay compensation, but the use of the conference room may be reviewed.

Statistics:

• 350 passengers were on board the Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
• The delay lasted for 16 hours.
• Passengers were stranded in Vancouver for 8 hours and then flown to Calgary airport.
• They had to stay in a conference room at a hotel from 2am-5am, without mattresses or blankets.

Sources:

• Tom Chessyhere, The Times (no date provided)
• Julia Saunders, passengers on the flight
• Kris Anderson, passengers on the flight
• Canadian Affair, tour operator that chartered the flight
• MyTravel Airways, airline responsible for the welfare of the passengers
• The Air Transport Users' Council