Horror flight as passengers stuck on 32-hour trip to nowhere — only to wind up right back where they started
It was quite the Greek Odyssey.
Passengers endured a mind-numbing 32-hour flight to nowhere after a Condor flight to Greece was forced to turn around and return home following multiple failed trips.
The Sisyphean journey occurred on May 24 when a Condor flight DE1234 was embarking on what was supposed to be a routine 1,198-mile flight from Zurich, Switzerland to Heraklion in Crete, Greece, One Mile At A Time reported.
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3 A Condor Airbus A321 in Heraklion, Greece.
Markus Mainka – stock.adobe.com
Despite departing around 30 minutes late, the flight appeared to be going swimmingly. After a short two hours, the plane began its initial descent to the idyllic Greek isle.
Unfortunately, the aircraft's landing was hampered by powerful winds, which forced it to circle around for a prolonged period before the pilot decided to divert to Athens and refuel.
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They touched down at the Greek capital at 11:24 a.m. local time — three hours after they'd originally departed Zurich.
Around two and a half hours later, the crew made a second attempt to ferry the 137 passengers to Heraklion, only to be boomeranged yet again.
3 The flight returned to Zurich Airport (pictured) a staggering 32 hours after the initial departure.
Taljat – stock.adobe.com
They reportedly made it to the destination, only to see that weather conditions were still quite severe. After circling around again, they decided to divert to nearby Kos to refuel, landing at 3:28 p.m. after a 1.5-hour flight.
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As the aircraft was once again running dangerously low on fuel, the decision was made to divert to Thessaloniki, which the crew felt was a good place for the passengers and crew to spend the night.
3 Condor reps said that 'due to extreme weather conditions and strong winds, takeoffs and landings at Heraklion Airport were only possible to a limited extent.'
DirkDaniel – stock.adobe.com
They reportedly touched down at 6:04 after an approximately one-hour flight — a whopping 11 hours after they'd initially left Zurich.
The following morning at 9 a.m., the crew decided to make one last attempt to get to Crete, but found themselves in a holding pattern yet again due to the wind — like de ja flew.
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Again, they were forced to divert to Athens, whereupon the crew decided to call it quits and fly back to Zurich, Switzerland, arriving a full 32 hours after their initial departure.
Condor reps said that 'due to extreme weather conditions and strong winds, takeoffs and landings at Heraklion Airport were only possible to a limited extent.'
During the fruitless journey, they had reportedly landed a total of five different times. To make matters worse, flyers were only given a glass of water and nothing else during the whole flight while many passengers vomited during the approaches to Heraklion because of the powerful winds.
Upon arriving at Thessaloniki, meanwhile, flyers were forced to float their own hotel rooms — although they are entitled to reimbursement under European aviation guidelines.
This isn't the first time passengers have experienced an inadvertent round trip.
Last June, British Airways passengers flew for hours across the Atlantic Ocean — only for the plane to turn around and return halfway through their trip due to a technical issue.
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4 hours ago
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Horror flight as passengers stuck on 32-hour trip to nowhere — only to wind up right back where they started
It was quite the Greek Odyssey. Passengers endured a mind-numbing 32-hour flight to nowhere after a Condor flight to Greece was forced to turn around and return home following multiple failed trips. The Sisyphean journey occurred on May 24 when a Condor flight DE1234 was embarking on what was supposed to be a routine 1,198-mile flight from Zurich, Switzerland to Heraklion in Crete, Greece, One Mile At A Time reported. Advertisement 3 A Condor Airbus A321 in Heraklion, Greece. Markus Mainka – Despite departing around 30 minutes late, the flight appeared to be going swimmingly. After a short two hours, the plane began its initial descent to the idyllic Greek isle. Unfortunately, the aircraft's landing was hampered by powerful winds, which forced it to circle around for a prolonged period before the pilot decided to divert to Athens and refuel. Advertisement They touched down at the Greek capital at 11:24 a.m. local time — three hours after they'd originally departed Zurich. Around two and a half hours later, the crew made a second attempt to ferry the 137 passengers to Heraklion, only to be boomeranged yet again. 3 The flight returned to Zurich Airport (pictured) a staggering 32 hours after the initial departure. Taljat – They reportedly made it to the destination, only to see that weather conditions were still quite severe. After circling around again, they decided to divert to nearby Kos to refuel, landing at 3:28 p.m. after a 1.5-hour flight. Advertisement As the aircraft was once again running dangerously low on fuel, the decision was made to divert to Thessaloniki, which the crew felt was a good place for the passengers and crew to spend the night. 3 Condor reps said that 'due to extreme weather conditions and strong winds, takeoffs and landings at Heraklion Airport were only possible to a limited extent.' DirkDaniel – They reportedly touched down at 6:04 after an approximately one-hour flight — a whopping 11 hours after they'd initially left Zurich. The following morning at 9 a.m., the crew decided to make one last attempt to get to Crete, but found themselves in a holding pattern yet again due to the wind — like de ja flew. Advertisement Again, they were forced to divert to Athens, whereupon the crew decided to call it quits and fly back to Zurich, Switzerland, arriving a full 32 hours after their initial departure. Condor reps said that 'due to extreme weather conditions and strong winds, takeoffs and landings at Heraklion Airport were only possible to a limited extent.' During the fruitless journey, they had reportedly landed a total of five different times. To make matters worse, flyers were only given a glass of water and nothing else during the whole flight while many passengers vomited during the approaches to Heraklion because of the powerful winds. Upon arriving at Thessaloniki, meanwhile, flyers were forced to float their own hotel rooms — although they are entitled to reimbursement under European aviation guidelines. This isn't the first time passengers have experienced an inadvertent round trip. Last June, British Airways passengers flew for hours across the Atlantic Ocean — only for the plane to turn around and return halfway through their trip due to a technical issue.
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They have plenty of room on their beachfront, so there's no dreaded rush to secure your sun lounger with a towel before the crack of dawn. Their beach bar is right next to a pizza oven too; ideal to sate the 4pm hunger sunbathing so easily brings on. Now, living in your swimwear, going from pool, to beach, to buffet all week might not be up everyone's alley, so if you're itching to get out and see some sights, the Mitsis team are also more than happy to arrange a tour or two for you. Lindos is only a short drive away and full of restaurants, bars, and hidden streets to get lost down... Rooms start from £177, find out more here Visiting a seafood restaurant when holidaying by the beach is a rite of passage, and the dishes being served up at Limanaki are definitely worth tasting for yourself. A special shout-out goes to the shrimp and scallop tomato risotto, a hearty, well-seasoned dish full of meaty and tender fish. 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There are a few museums you can visit, or even walk the ancient walls yourself, to really immerse yourself in the history of the place. Kallithea Springs is a blend of remarkable architecture and natural beauty. The unique balance that has been struck between structure and scenery is well worth a visit, as you'll find yourself wandering through arched buildings and tiled walkways before you take a dip in the crystal clear waters around. A good holiday isn't complete without a little exploration. The hike up Tsambika Mountain promises astonishing views and a feeling of accomplishment. I'd head up early to avoid the heat, especially if you're travelling in the height of summer. You might even want to set you alarms for the small hours, so you can catch the sunrise over Rhodes mountain range. The hike is easy enough to find as it is to follow, but make sure you bring enough water and follow a guide, as it can get seriously hot! 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Unlike other, smaller Greek islands, Rhodes has an international airport, so you can fly directly from the UK, which takes around 4 hours. If you're lucky enough to be island hopping, you can arrive in Rhodes by boat, or take a flight from Athens which is only around 1 hour. Browse flights from the UK to Rhodes here
