More than a dozen passengers were asked to leave a plane after flight attendants said the aircraft was “too heavy” to fly.
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According to the Tribune, the flight was heading to Las Vegas on July 22. However, it had already experienced a three-hour delay. Passengers had to board the plane twice.
While explaining that 14 passengers needed to exit the plane, a flight attendant the reason was for safety. They noted that the plane was “too heavy.”
@nypost 14 passengers booted from plane that was "too heavy" to fly
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The flight attendant warned that if no one exited the plane, everyone would have to de-plane once again. To reward those who would volunteer to leave the plane, the crew offered $2,500 travel credit.
After the offer was announced, numerous passengers started getting up to leave.
easyJet Asked Passengers to Leave Plane Because It Was Also ‘Too Heavy’ Earlier This Month
Metro recently reported that easyJet asked passengers to leave one of its planes because it was “too heavy” to take off.
The easyJet flight to Liverpool had been due to take off from Arrecife Airport in Lanzarote at 9.45 p.m. However, the flight was delayed because of the plane’s weight and poor weather conditions.
The airliner asked if “up to 20” passengers could leave the plane.
“Because there are so many of you it’s a pretty heavy aircraft,” the flight attendant explained. “That heavy aircraft combined with a pretty short runway and with the current unfavorable conditions here in Lanzarote, means the aircraft is too heavy to take off.”
The flight attendant then said that he and his “senior first officer” were very experienced and had “done this before.”
“With safety as our number one priority, there is no way, with the current wind conditions, that we could get this aircraft airborne,” he pointed out. “There are a number of factors – it’s very hot, the wind isn’t fantastic, the direction isn’t great.”
Those who volunteered to leave the plane would receive up to €500. In the end, 19 passengers volunteered to leave the aircraft. It took off shortly before 11.30 p.m.
easyJet Speaks Out About Flight Incident
A spokesperson for easyJet spoke out about the situation. “EasyJet can confirm that 19 passengers on flight EZY3364 from Lanzarote to Liverpool yesterday evening volunteered to travel on a later flight as a result of the aircraft being over the weight limits for the weather conditions.”
The spokesperson then noted, “This is a routine operational decision in these circumstances. Weight restrictions are in place for all airlines for safety reasons.”
“In the event that a flight would exceed weight limits, we ask for passengers to volunteer to transfer to a later flight free of charge which is what happened on this occasion and volunteers are provided with compensation in line with regulations.”