BRITS said it was like a “war zone” when their TUI flight home from Mexico was grounded by a pair of passengers caught smoking in the toilets.
Terry Lawrance, 66, who was on the aborted flight from Cancun to Gatwick, said stranded passengers were strewn across camp beds in the chaotic scenes.
Passengers were left stranded at a military base for over 15 hours after two passengers were caught smokingSWNS
The London-bound plane from Mexico had to be diverted to Bangor International Airport in MaineSWNS
The two alleged smokers were booted off the flightSWNS
About an hour after take-off on July 8, the captain of the London-bound flight announced two passengers had been smoking in the toilets, and that if it continued, he would have to divert.
After another three-and-a-half hours, the captain announced the plane would now be diverting to Bangor International Airport, Maine, US.
They landed at 21.30pm local time – and the two alleged smokers were booted off the flight.
But Terry said the other passengers were stuck in their seats for another five hours and even taxied to take-off – before the flight was abandoned.
This was apparently because the original crew were not able to continue to operate the rest of the flight back due to legal working hours.
In order to organise another flight back from America, an entire new crew had to be flown out all the way from the UK.
The passengers were kept in a room – which Terry claims is part of the military airbase section of the airport – for over 15 hours.
A rescue flight to Gatwick finally took off at 15:00pm local time on Wednesday July 9 – with all passengers now safely home.
Videos taken by Terry show rows of beds as passengers waited around for updates, while another video shows vehicles approaching the plane after touching down in Bangor.
Terry said: “We were there for over 12 hours – it all went pear shaped.
“Everybody was fed up.
“In fairness, they started bringing out airbeds, but it was like free-for-all for vultures.
“It was like a warzone in a lounge – rows and rows of beds.
“All our luggage was still on the plane whilst we waited.
“TUI told us a relief crew was being sent from the UK because the current crew had used up their hours.”
Tracking on Flightradar24 shows the plane turning back towards Maine shortly after entering Canadian airspace.
Terry said: “After an hour the captain came on and said someone had been smoking in the toilet – he read the riot act and said if it continues, we’d have to divert.
“About three hours later, around the border with Canada and he came on to let us know that the plane was being diverted to Bangor, Maine.
“Once we landed, they removed the two passengers.
“They were obviously drunk, and he basically assaulted his partner.
“The captain then said we’d be getting going again once the paperwork has been done.
“We were sat on the plane on the ground for five hours – the plane started taxing again and we thought ‘great’ and then they said there was a problem with flight plan, and we have to get off.
“Next thing, we’re not going anywhere, and we’ve got to stay in this small lounge.
“We waited six or seven hours before we were offered a drink.”
TUI declined to comment.