Ankara-Bound Passengers Left Stranded in Stuttgart After Pilot Sickness

But not all those booked onto Eurowings Flight 4U2904 believe the carrier’s official explanation for the cancellation of their service.

Would-be passengers on a recent Turkey-bound Eurowings service scheduled to depart from Stuttgart, Germany, were left angry when their flight was cancelled over claims that the plane’s pilot was ‘afraid’ to fly to Ankara, DW.com reports.

The incident, which occurred last Saturday, affected Eurowings Flight 4U2904. In an e-mail to the outlet, the airline said that, “Eurowings Flight 4U2904 was annulled because one of the pilots called in sick. Because this happened at short notice, it was unfortunately not possible to activate a replacement pilot for this flight.”

Photos shared on social media show angry passengers waiting at a Eurowings desk in the southern German city of Stuttgart. It is reported that some, however, cast doubt on the airline’s official explanation for the cancellation of their flight. The outlet reports that some of those affected were told that their flight was cancelled due to the pilot’s ‘political concerns’.

Tensions between Germany and Turkey have been heightened in recent times, with Germany’s government advising its nationals that there are potential “risks” involved with any planned travel to Turkey. The website also explains that, “Pilots who work for Lufthansa, Eurowings’ parent company, are allowed to declare themselves “unfit to fly,” if they feel that they are unable to correctly discharge their duties.”

In response to the flight’s cancellation, some have called for action against Eurowings. “It’s high time to recognize that these measures are aimed not just at Turkey (which is bad enough) but Turkish people in the EU. Rise up and boycott companies like this,” wrote one Facebook user.

[Photo: Shutterstock]