Clashing Cabin Crew Delay EasyJet Flight
Jackie Reddy August 25, 2016
Earlier this week, two sparring cabin crew members on a Belfast-bound flight had to be removed and replaced after they were unable to settle their differences and work together.
Unruly passengers disrupting flights are one thing, but travelers on a recent easyJet flight from London’s Gatwick Airport (LGW) were shocked when a disagreement between two crew members caused a 90-minute delay to their service.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon on Belfast-bound EZY835 and was captured by TV reporter Dan Lobb, who overheard a member of the flight crew explain the spat to the plane’s crew manager.
Speaking to the BBC, Lobb said that, “We were just taxiing towards the runway when one of the crew approached the front to complain about another. It sounded like the disagreement was over the way one staff member was packaging or storing bottles of water.”
He said that the manager then “…told them to try and make it up and get on with their jobs, but a few minutes later, the crew member came back to the front and said: ‘It’s all kicked off again.”
As it became apparent that the argument wasn’t going to be resolved, the decision was taken to remove the two clashing crew members and replace them with more agreeable staff.
As passengers waited for the new crew to arrive, Lobb explained that the plane’s pilot “…apologized for the situation, he said he admitted it was a little bit silly, but said that passenger safety was paramount.”
He added that, “The fallout seemed really unprofessional – we’ve all worked with people we don’t get on with.”
The flight took off after a delay of an hour and a half and later that day, the carrier confirmed and apologized for the incident. “The safety and welfare of our passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority. In order to deliver this cabin crew need to be able to work as a team,” the airline explained via a statement on Wednesday.
[Photo: easyJet]
