Passengers Finally Reach Destination After Nightmare 3-Day Layover
The 264 passengers and 18 crew members aboard a flight from Paris to Shanghai were forced off their plane in Russia’s Siberia region for a three-day layover due to mechanical problems on the plane, The Associated Press reported.
The layover began when Air France Flight AF116, which had taken off from Paris on Saturday, had to make an emergency landing in the city of Irkutsk on Sunday after smoke was detected on board, according to Air France’s statement on the event.
Passengers and crew were taken to hotels and given accommodation, however, they were not allowed to leave, due to not having Russian visas.
Many in the group were also not dressed for the harsh weather, which the AP reported was 5 degrees Farenheight.
Air France did find the travelers a replacement plane on Tuesday. However, it, too, was grounded due to problems with the hydraulic system.
The second replacement plane reached the stranded passengers in Irkutsk on Wednesday and was able to transport the almost 300 passengers and crew to Shanghai.
“The aircraft left Irkutsk at 02:08 (Paris time) and landed in Shanghai at 05:45 (Paris time),” Air France stated.
Passengers stranded in Siberia for 3 days after Air France #AF116 diverted to Irkutsk and replacement Boeing 777-300 could not take off https://t.co/m40ZyAICgX
— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) November 14, 2018
Some of the frustrated passengers posted about their plight on social media.
“I am a ‘survivor of Flight AF0116, stuck in Irkutsk,” one passenger wrote, according to a Twitter translation. “We are dirty, we smell, it is now over 30 hours that we are under house arrest, without a suitcase or passport.”
Je suis une « survivante » du vol AF0116, coincée à Irkoutsk…. on est sales, on sent mauvais, ça fait maintenant plus de 30h que nous sommes en résidence surveillée sans valise ni passeport. @airfrance, où êtes-vous? #AirFrance #destinationshanghai #AF0116 #irkoutsk
— Eléonore Joulie (@EleonoreFIAWEC) November 12, 2018
Those comments were made only about halfway through their unexpected detour, but multiple journalists reached out to Joulie via Twitter, hoping for an interview.
Air France also reached out, saying that the airline was “sincerely sorry for this situation,” and offered to communicate with her through direct messaging if she wasn’t being kept up to date with the communication to the passengers.
“Hello, we are sincerely sorry for this situation,” the airline wrote, according to a Twitter translation. “Did you receive by (email) the communication we sent to all passengers of flight AF116 of 10/11? If necessary, do not hesitate to come back to us by DM. We remain here at your disposal.”
Bonjour, nous sommes sincèrement navrés de cette situation. Aviez-vous bien reçu par mail la communication que nous avions adressé à l’ensemble des passagers de ce vol AF116 du 10/11 ? Si besoin, n’hésitez pas à revenir vers nous par DM. Nous restons ici à votre disposition.
— Air France (@airfrance) November 14, 2018
According to The New York Times, the passengers on the stranded flight included employees of Louis Vuitton, the luxury goods brand, including several social media managers. Some of them found the humor in their unexpected time in Siberia.
One passenger posted a picture of two coins with “heads or tails. Will we get to Shanghai?”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqH_Vh7gKL3/
As for the airline, the company assured the public in a statement that, “the company’s commercial department has contacted the customers concerned to propose suitable commercial measures.”
“Air France regrets this exceptional situation and wishes to apologize to customers for the inconvenience and significant delay experienced. The safety of its customers and crews is Air France’s absolute priority.”
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