Latest news with #flight
The Sun
16 minutes ago
- The Sun
Fighter jets scrambled to Brit TUI flight to Lanzarote after terrifying bomb threat note is found in toilet
HOLIDAYMAKERS were left terrified after a bomb threat note was found on a Brit TUI flight from Cardiff to Lanzarote - forcing fighter jets to scramble. Cheryl Sainsbury, 43 and her pals, from Pontypridd, were all smiles en route to the Canaries - until the pilot made a chilling mid-air announcement. 6 6 6 While flying over Portugal on Thursday morning, Welsh pals Cheryl, Leanne Thomas, Cherie Gurner and Tara Pumford were stunned when the pilot announced the plane must land urgently due to reports of a "device" on board. Cheryl said: "We were sort of looking at each other thinking 'what's he on about'? "We were all scared but there was no sense of panic as such on board. Everybody seemed to come together and just looked out for each other. We all wanted to make sure everyone was ok." Everyone was told to remain in their seats. The crew searched under the seats and in the overhead lockers to check that all the luggage was accounted for. Cheryl said: "I think they were looking for a black rucksack." Passengers reportedly tried to message loved ones to tell them what was happening as they anxiously waited for updates from the cabin crew. The group initially thought someone had phoned in a bomb threat - only later did they learn a handwritten note was found by a crew member in one of the aircraft's toilets. The pilot then announced a risk assessment had been done and the threat was deemed low, meaning the plane would no longer be landing earlier in Portugal. But for everyone's safety, two Portuguese fighter jets escorted the plane to its destination of Arrecife in Lanzarote. 6 6 Harrowing moment plane comes terrifyingly close to helicopter as it takes off at airport Cheryl said: "Once we landed on the ground, it was the biggest celebration and sense of relief. "We were taken to a remote part of the airport and there were police and fire engines surrounding the plane. We had to get off one-by-one." The group then had to wait for the emergency services on the ground to check through the luggage before they were allowed to leave. Cheryl explained: "We had to stand on the tarmac with all the luggage but we weren't allowed to touch of any of it. "They brought sniffer dogs and the bomb squad so we just had to stand their and watch before they let us on the bus. "We got taken to some form of compound where there were no refreshments and just one toilet. "We just had to wait their until they had approval from the police to let us go to get back to the normal part of the airport where we could go through immigration and collect our cases." The friends are now unwinding in Lanzarote with a drink or two to help 'settle their nerves' after the ordeal. They are due to fly back home on Sunday - and are hoping that flight will be less eventful. Cheryl said: "It was such a weird experience especially as I'm a quite anxious flyer so I don't know how we did it. Even though we were all scared, we just stuck together and tried to keep it calm." She added that the cabin crew from TUI remained calm and were "brilliant" with all the passengers. Specialists from the GEDEX (Explosives Deactivation Group), the Fiscal and Border Section, investigation units and citizen security patrols all intervened, as reported by The Sun on Thursday. The inspection found no explosive device on board. Flight BY6422 landed at Lanzarote airport at around 10.55am on Thursday. A spokesperson for Cardiff Airport said: 'We are aware of an incident involving flight TOM6422 from Cardiff to Lanzarote on 19/06/25. "The safety of our passengers is our number one priority. No concerns or suspicious activity were raised prior to departure.' Spain 's Civil Guard has launched an investigation to determine who wrote the note. The force stressed that this type of act is a serious crime, as it causes alarm, compromises public safety and forces specialised resources to be used. TUI has been contacted for comment. 6
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Popular money-saving travel ‘hack' backfires on frazzled plane passengers: ‘We were lied to at the gate'
A common hack to save money on Ryanair backfired on a couple. Scott McCormick and his girlfriend, Helena Boshwick, both 33, were set to fly from Birmingham Airport in the UK to Palma de Mallorca, Spain. In an attempt to save money, the couple decided not to pay to reserve seats on the flight. 'Me and my partner thought it's not that much of a problem if we're not sitting together for a two-hour flight, we're adults here,' McCormick, a gym owner, told Kennedy News. They were first in line to board when a staff member asked them to step aside as the rest of the passengers boarded. 'That moment was a red flag, I thought, 'there's something happening here,'' McCormick shared. 'I asked her to tell us what is going to happen, and she said no.' After everyone else was on the plane, the Ryanair staff member allegedly told them that the flight was full and there was only one seat left. McCormick admitted that the two of them had a 'meltdown' since they wanted to travel together — but they were told they were in this position because they 'hadn't reserved a seat.' 'There was no compassion or care whatsoever. After going back and forth, we said we're not going to take separate flights and be in separate countries for hours,' he said. After arguing with staff, the couple were reportedly told they could both get on the next flight and get refunded for both tickets. But when they went to the check-in desk again, they were informed they would still have to pay for one of the tickets — and they claimed a refund was never issued. 'We went down to ticket sales and they said we still have to pay for one ticket, only one is reimbursed. One of the seats was put down as a cancelled booking and the other was a missed flight so we'd still have to pay for one seat and be reimbursed for the other,' McCormick said. 'That's the biggest part of the [issue], we were just lied to at the gate but then we still sold us a seat and we still have seen no sign of reimbursement.'The couple reportedly had to spend even more money on the new ticket and waited for four hours for the next flight, and McCormick claimed it felt like 'discrimination.' 'Ryanair should have asked all passengers if anyone would like to volunteer their seats,' he said. '…how do they pick out these people, is it because we're young and we have no kids, so there's just two of us, is it to do with something we don't see or understand?' He said he will avoid flying Ryanair in the future due to a lack of care and empathy. 'You can be bawling your eyes out and they just don't care, they're deadpan.' While some people on social media believed they were singled out for not reserving seats — debunking the so-called hack that doing so will result in lower airfare — Ryanair explained that it was because the plane itself was switched to one with fewer seats. 'This flight from Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca (1 May) was not 'overbooked' – it was scheduled to operate on a 737-8200 (197 seats) but for operational reasons had to be swapped to a 737-800 aircraft (189 seats),' the airline said. 'As a result, one passenger was unable to travel on this flight and was reaccommodated onto the next available flight to Palma de Mallorca,' said a Ryanair spokesperson. The airline's rep noted that McCormick is not eligible for a refund since he was reaccommodated onto the next available flight. 'Mr. McCormick's travel companion was not refused boarding but chose not to board and travel on this flight from Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca and was required to pay a missed departure fee to be booked onto the next available flight.'
LBCI
a day ago
- Business
- LBCI
MEA announces additional flight to and from Paris on June 23, 2025
Middle East Airlines has announced an additional flight to and from Paris on Monday, June 23, 2025, as per the attached schedule. To view the schedule, click here.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Ryanair hits back at couple who failed with their money-saving tactic in hilarious post
Ryanair has hilariously hit back at a couple who vowed they will 'never fly with the airline again' after their money-saving tactic backfired and eventually cost them their seats. Scott McCormick and his girlfriend, Helena Boshwick, both 33, were set to fly from Birmingham Airport on May 1 to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, for a week-long break and gym mentorship event. The couple chose not to reserve seats - which typically costs between £4.50 and £33 per seat - prior to boarding as they 'didn't mind' sitting apart during the two-hour flight. This can be a gamble, as passengers might not get a seat next to their travel companions - or they could find themselves wedged in between two strangers if they've been assigned a less-desirable middle seat. But according to Scott, Ryanair gate staff told the couple the flight was full and there was only one available seat left once all passengers had boarded. The fitness mentor, from Birmingham, West Midlands, said: 'We checked in the night before and we didn't reserve a seat but you normally just get a random one. 'Me and my partner thought it's not that much of a problem if we're not sitting together for a two-hour flight, we're adults here.' He added: 'We were the first ones at the gate ready for boarding. The lady scanned our boarding passes and told us to step to the side for a second. That moment was a red flag, I thought: "There's something happening here". 'When everyone boarded, she said: "the plane is full, there's only one seat remaining and we will have to reimburse you for the other seat or you'll have to get on the next flight".' The news led to Scott and his girlfriend having a 'meltdown' as they had wanted to catch the same flight and arrive to their destination together. He explained: 'There was no compassion or care whatsoever. After going back and forth we said we're not going to take separate flights and be in separate countries for hours.' The gym owner claims they protested and were finally told that they could both get on the next flight and receive a refund for both tickets. Scott added: 'I asked if we can have that in writing or an email for them to confirm it in some way. They said it's on the system, and when we go to ticket sales, they will reimburse us and we can get on the next flight.' But when the couple went to the check-in desk again, they were reportedly told they still had to pay for one of the tickets - while Scott claims he never received a refund. According to the holidaymaker, one of the seats had been marked in the system as a cancelled booking, while the other was put down as a missed flight - meaning the pair would be reimbursed for one while the other had to be paid for. The couple reportedly shelled out a further £100 on a new ticket and waited four hours for the next departing flight to Palma. The couple reportedly shelled out a further £100 on a new ticket and waited four hours for the next departing flight to Palma (Pictured: Scott in Palma de Mallorca after arriving hours later) Though the pair were assured that a refund would be processed for one of the tickets, Scott claims he has still not received it or heard from Ryanair. He claims the experience felt like 'discrimination,' and that the couple were singled out because they are 'young' and childfree. The fitness fanatic said he will now avoid flying with the airline due to the staff members' 'lack of compassion.' Scott said: 'Ryanair should have asked all passengers if anyone would like to volunteer their seats. 'It felt like discrimination, how do they pick out these people, is it because we're young and we have no kids so there's just two of us, is it to do with something we don't see or understand. 'There was so much of it that was really frustrating, and it's the lack of care, no empathy. You can be bawling your eyes out and they just don't care, they're dead pan.' 'We just had to get over what happened, it was a terrible way to start a holiday. 'They said at ticket sales they would be doing this themselves and get everything over and start the process so I haven't formally complained. More than 37,000 people have liked the post, and over 1,000 have commented in appreciation for the airline's audacity. 'I don't think they did, I definitely haven't got the money back. We just got caught in a big company's terms and conditions. I would avoid it [Ryanair] if I could now. Why am I being singled out?' Ryanair has now shared a response to Scott and Helena's complaints, simply saying: 'Today is a good day to separate couples onboard.' More than 37,000 people have liked the post, and over 1,000 have commented in appreciation for the airline's audacity. One cheeky person commented: 'Next time we want to break up, we'll just book with you.' Another knowingly added: 'Why stop there, put em on different planes.' And a third joked: 'You are the reason I only fly with you when I travel with my wife!' One person even revealed someone had once offered to swap seats on a Ryanair flight, so she could sit next to her husband. 'I politely declined!' she quickly added. It comes as Ryanair is at the centre of a 'wild' Simpsons conspiracy on social media in the wake of the Air India crash that that killed all but one of the 242 passengers onboard. The doomed Gatwick-bound Air India flight AI-171, which had been carrying 53 British nationals, crashed just moments after take-off on Thursday, 12 June. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, from Leicester, miraculously survived the disaster that saw all the other passengers perish in the fireball explosion. His seat, 11A, was near the Boeing's left engine. Eerily, exactly one month before the crash occurred, Ryanair posted a tongue-in-cheek video to its TikTok account poking fun at its infamous 11A seat - which has no window.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
A flight to nowhere U-turned over the Atlantic when the airline realized it needed maintenance
A KLM flight U-turned over the Atlantic when the airline realized it needed maintenance. The Airbus A330-300 was flying from Amsterdam to Toronto when the incident occurred. The plane would have reached a "maintenance deadline" during the trip, KLM told Business Insider. A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Toronto took a flight to nowhere on Monday after it became apparent the aircraft was scheduled for maintenance. Passengers on Flight KL691 were scheduled to depart 11.20 a.m. local time from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on Monday, but faced a first hurdle when the Airbus A330 intended for the flight had to be withdrawn from service. A replacement plane was found, eventually taking off around two hours after its scheduled departure. The flight reached roughly halfway across the Atlantic Ocean before turning back and returning to Amsterdam, data from Flightradar24 shows. KLM confirmed to Business Insider that the U-turn was caused by the aircraft reaching a "maintenance deadline." "During flight KL691 from Amsterdam to Toronto, it was decided to return to Schiphol as a precaution after it became apparent during the flight that the replacement aircraft (PH-AKA) would reach its maintenance deadline," the airline said in a statement. "The aircraft was fully airworthy at the time of departure. To prevent the license from expiring during the flight, it was decided to return to perform the maintenance in the Netherlands. One person who said they were on the flight shared their experience on Reddit, alongside a photo of their in-flight screen. "Literally mid-flight we got the announcement that the plane they got was not supposed to fly and needed big maintenance that was due today unable to perform in Toronto, so back to Amsterdam," the user wrote. "Pilot and crew were very apologetic," they added. Aircraft have strict maintenance schedules to ensure they are checked thoroughly and remain airworthy. When aircraft experience in-flight issues or problems like the one encountered by flight KL691, it is often easier for airlines to return to their home bases rather than attempting to fix problems thousands of miles away. This often leads to so-called flights to nowhere, where airliners turn back, often thousands of miles into their journey, to return home. As well as making fixing issues easier, returning to a home base also makes it simpler to rebook passengers onto new flights, as was the case with KLM's flight to Toronto. "Although all passengers were rebooked upon arrival, we naturally find it very unfortunate for the passengers who were affected by this," KLM said in its statement. Read the original article on Business Insider
