Spanish pensioners at Palma Airport protest at delayed flight

At one point the pensioners started to shout "We want to fly". | MDB

Andrew EdePalma27/04/2024 08:32
TW
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On Friday, 192 Spanish pensioners were stuck at Palma Son Sant Joan Airport for fourteen hours because the plane flying them to Malaga had developed a technical fault.

They were returning from an Imserso holiday, having all stayed at a hotel in Arenal, which they left early in the morning for what was meant to have been an 8am flight operated by Iberojet, a charter airline that is owned by the Barceló Group.

They arrived at the airport at 5.45 and checked in. Some of them had in fact been on a bus to take them to the plane when the bus turned round and went back to the terminal. There was a fault with the plane.

They complained about a complete lack of information and at one point considered blocking boarding gates for other flights, such was the mounting frustration and anger. One woman fainted and needed medical treatment.

Meal vouchers were provided, but customer attention was otherwise very limited, although some passengers were able to access luggage that had been checked in and which contained important medication.

Their flight to Malaga finally left at 10pm.