Edelweiss passengers stranded in Phuket

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Uster ZH’s Peter Ebener (48) and his family’s Thailand vacation goes into an unwanted stretch. Reason: Edelweiss Air flight scheduled for home flight failed to take off on Thursday. It is unclear when it will continue.

Ebener, his wife Noelle (49) and daughter Vanessa (12) spent nearly the entire day at the airport in Phuket on Thursday. “First they said the plane was delayed. Then, about two hours later, the entire crew suddenly exited the machine. » The captain said it might take a few more hours.

case problems

When asked by Blick, Edelweiss spokesperson Andreas Meier said, “Edelweiss’ flight WK 50 from Zurich to Phuket on 1 March suffered damage to the aircraft’s enclosure parts. Flight safety was never compromised.” The same aircraft would have been scheduled for the return flight to Zurich (WK 51). The flight did not go as planned as the fairing parts were replaced before another mission. The affected Airbus A340 is at Phuket Airport until further notice.

In fact, the return flight was supposed to depart for Zurich at 9.15 am local time on Thursday. “Finally, a few hours later, we were told again that the flight was completely cancelled,” Ebener says. The passengers were then taken to a hotel by bus. Ebener learned from a crew member that the lightning strike was responsible for the damage done to the plane.

The Swiss fear that he and his family will be stranded in Thailand for a few more days. Passengers received a message promising a replacement flight for Sunday or Monday. The message can be viewed.

“The next flight will be delayed until at least Sunday, March 5,” Meier says. Hotel rooms and other support services were arranged for the 307 affected passengers. Due to the extremely limited flight capacities available from airports in Thailand, the search for alternative flight options is “very challenging”. Edelweiss is in contact with passengers or travel companies.

Edelweiss bears most of the costs

“I actually have to get back to work on Monday,” says passenger Ebener. His daughter Vanessa would have to go to school. “Our problem is that we are self-employed. We have several orders for next Monday. We are school photographers. It’s boring because we have to cancel now and hope we can get new appointments.”

It’s also frustrating for Ebener and his family when they have to search for a new hotel after one night. “The hotel we were taken to on Thursday kicked us out again on Friday because it needed space for new guests.” He had to look for a new hotel for himself. “It was difficult because almost everything was completely packed,” Ebener says.

Edelweiss takes care of meals, transportation from the airport to the hotel, accommodation in three-star hotels and all communication costs. “Customers currently stranded in Phuket should contact their booking office if they independently find an alternative for a return flight,” Meier says.

In this case, the airline and tour operator have the option to transfer the tickets to another airline free of charge. “If the customer does book a new flight on their own and no longer needs a return flight with Edelweiss, we will of course cover this part of the route completely and free of charge,” Meier said.

Source :Blick