Summary
- Flair Airlines flight F8-673 experienced a confusing diversion to Winnipeg, lasting 10 hours, leaving passengers outraged and prompting police intervention. (149 characters)
- Passengers onboard the aircraft weren’t served food or beverages through the ordeal, with flight attendants resorting to serving water from the lavatories. (151 characters)
- Initially, Flair Airlines withheld compensation, citing the diversion as a weather-related incident, but later stated they would supply adequate compensation to passengers. (157 characters)
The night of July seventeenth was particularly arduous for a plane filled with passengers taking a Flair Airlines service from Toronto to Saskatoon. Because the aircraft neared its destination, it was announced that a diversion to Winnipeg would happen. After landing on the diversion airport, the airline eventually decided to return the aircraft to the origin airport of Toronto, leaving many shoppers outraged, prompting police to be dispatched.
Confusing reasons for diverting
Flair Airlines’ flight F8-673 has a block time of three hours and 35 minutes. Indeed, FlightRadar24.com data notes that many flights for this route have had a duration of about three hours. The July seventeenth iteration of this flight would turn out to be a 10-hour ordeal and a ‘flight to nowhere.’
Photo: FlightRadar24.com
The flight, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, departed Toronto Pearson at 21:05 local time, some four-and-a-half hours behind its scheduled departure time of 16:30. Based on passenger Carmen Szabo speaking with CBC News, because the aircraft neared Saskatoon, the flight crew told passengers a diversion to Winnipeg could be required.
“At first, they said, ‘there is a storm; we won’t land.’ Then they said, ‘the runway’s wet; we won’t land.’ Then they said, ‘the runway is definitely under construction; we won’t land.”
Three and a half hours later, the aircraft landed in Winnipeg. The local time upon landing was about 23:35.
Outrage in Winnipeg
Continuing to inform her story to CBC News, Szabo notes that while the aircraft was on the apron of Winnipeg airport, passengers were informed that the flight could be returning to Toronto. She says passengers were furious upon hearing the news, with many standing up and using foul language to precise their frustrations. Police were then called in, boarding the aircraft to cope with the outrage.
Through the time passengers were within the aircraft’s cabin, it was reported that no food or beverages were served (and even sold) onboard. It was reported that one bottle of water was shared amongst passengers and that flight attendants resorted to serving water sourced from the aircraft lavatories. As we note in a 2019 article, there are essential the reason why passengers shouldn’t drink tap water from the rest room.
Photo: FlightRadar24.com
Many passengers were allowed to deplane in Winnipeg, but other passengers (including Szabo) returned to Toronto. FlightRadar24.com data shows that the aircraft departed Winnipeg at 02:06 local time, landing in Toronto roughly two hours later at 04:58. Including boarding and deplaning time at either end, the passengers ending up back in Toronto would have been within the aircraft for nearly 10 hours.
Airline initially withholds compensation
Historical weather data indicates that no precipitation was recorded in Saskatoon on July seventeenth and 18th. At the identical time, nevertheless, a NAV Canada notice issued on May 18th stated that the airport could be undergoing runway, taxiway, and apron rehabilitation between June 1st, 2023, and September thirtieth, 2023. This might affect the airport’s predominant runway, 09/27, but not its secondary runway of 15/33.
Flair Airlines first told passengers that compensation wouldn’t be offered because the diversion was a weather-related incident not covered under compensation rules. Nevertheless, days later, the airline told CBC that it was working to offer adequate compensation to travelers.
So what do you think that of this ordeal? How should the airline have handled the situation? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.