PASSENGERS spent over 30 hours waiting at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris to fly home to Vigo (Pontevedra province, Galicia) after their Air Nostrum flight broke down on Sunday afternoon.
The 87 travellers were due to take off on flight IB-8423 at 14.00, but were still waiting in the French capital at 20.00 this evening (Monday).
The regional branch of Iberia said it had had 'problems' getting passengers on other flights because it is high tourism season and claims it offered 'various options', including connections via Madrid-Barajas and even the London airports.
In the end, Air Nostrum had to seek permission to charter a completely new flight – a 'special rescue operation', the company said – with 100 spaces, direct to Vigo's El Peinador airport from Paris.
It was expected to take off this evening, but it has not been confirmed whether the waiting travellers made it home.
Although the airline put all 87 passengers up in hotels last night, they have complained bitterly about 'rudeness', 'slapdash service' and 'lack of information' on the part of Air Nostrum staff in Paris.
None of the company's employees at Charles de Gaulle advised them of their options, so they had telephone the airline's head office directly.
“First, they offered us a flight to London Gatwick, after which we'd have to travel across to London Heathrow at our own cost to get a flight to Madrid, and then another to Vigo,” said one of the travellers.
She described 'utter confusion' in directing passengers to hotels.
“We asked an Iberia employee, who only spoke French, what was happening and she just said she 'knew nothing' and 'could not give us any explanations'.”
The atmosphere among stranded passengers became so heated that Iberia called in the police.
Air Nostrum has passed on its 'sincerest apologies' to those affected.
They will be able to automatically claim €250 in compensation due to being inconvenienced by the cancellation of a short-haul flight.
