137 Plane Passengers Stuck on 32-Hour Flight Which Landed 5 Times and Ended Up Right Back Where It Started
A Condor airlines flight from Zurich, Switzerland, to Crete, Greece, was rerouted due to "extreme weather conditions" and ended up making five landings during its 32-hour travel time
The flight, which was carrying 137 passengers, ended up back at Zurich for its final landing
Condor told PEOPLE that the strong winds in Crete made it impossible for the flight to land despite multiple attempts and it was diverted "several times" and also made an overnight stop
Airline travel can be a headache, but it's not every day that a less than three-hour flight turns into a 32-hour saga that ended in passengers being returned to their original airport.
On May 24, Condor flight DE1234 departed from Zurich, Switzerland, heading for Heraklion, Crete, in Greece with 137 passengers and six crew members. The flight, which is supposed to take just under three hours, experienced 'extreme weather conditions,' a Condor airlines representative told PEOPLE.
'With strong winds, take-offs and landings at Heraklion Airport on Crete were only possible to a limited extent,' Condor said in a statement. 'Despite several attempts to land in Heraklion, the flight was unfortunately unable to operate as planned and had to be diverted several times including a night stop in Thessaloniki before finally returning to Zurich.'
According to Business Insider, citing data from Flightradar24, the flight circled off the coast of Crete half a dozen times before U-turning to land in Athens.
The outlet reported that the plane made four stops and endured an overnight stay in Thessaloniki during the 32-travel time. The plane also stopped in Athens a second time and in Kos before returning to Zurich.
Condor said that the flight made "several stops," including a night stop in Thessaloniki.
The airline also said in its statement that, 'Refreshments and drinks were served for all guests by the crew in the galley,' however, according to Metro, some passengers complained that they weren't given many refreshments and some reportedly vomited during one of the attempted approaches to Heraklion.
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When asked about the claims, the Condor spokesperson told PEOPLE, 'Drinks were served for all guests by the crew in the galley, the hotel accommodation was organized by Condor,' noting that guests can contact customer service for 'refund and rebooking options.'
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Passengers also claimed they had to pay for their own hotels, per the outlet, and upon landing in Athens for the second time, were given the opportunity to disembark ahead of the final return to Zurich, but without their checked luggage.
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