An 83-year-old diabetic traveller has described how he feared losing consciousness during a gruelling 20-hour flight delay from Turkey with easyJet.
Melvin Chazen, from Wavertree, was returning from a week’s holiday in Bodrum when his Liverpool-bound flight fell victim to a bird strike on July 2.
The pensioner, who was travelling alone, claimed he was left without food, water or seating for hours whilst stranded at the airport.
He told the Liverpool ECHO: “I was travelling on my own as an elderly man, I’m diabetic and became low on sugar.
Melvin Chazen relied entirely on fellow passengers for updates about the delay
“I did think at one stage I was going to pass out.”
The EZY3408 service was originally scheduled to depart at 10:40pm, but passengers were initially told of a five-hour postponement.
What began as a manageable delay spiralled into an overnight ordeal, with the flight eventually rescheduled for the following evening.
Chazen and fellow passengers endured a six-hour journey back through Turkish customs to reach accommodation arranged by the airline.
Throughout this process, the pensioner claims no easyJet staff were present to provide face-to-face updates or assistance.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
PA
|
The EZY3408 service was originally scheduled to depart at 10:40pm, but passengers were initially told of a five-hour postponement (stock pic)
“We were waiting in long queues with nowhere to sit down and not one member of easyJet staff was there to communicate or check on the customers,” he said.
The elderly traveller’s lack of internet access left him particularly vulnerable during the crisis.
“I’m an elderly man, I don’t do the internet and I was there on my own so I had no means of getting online to check my emails,” Chazen explained.
With no direct communication from airline staff, he relied entirely on fellow travellers for updates about the delay.
“I had no forms of communication apart from what other passengers were telling me,” he said.
GETTY
|
The flight was meant to take off from Bodrum, Turkey
The diabetic pensioner’s blood sugar levels dropped dangerously low during the wait, with kind passengers stepping in to assist him through the ordeal.
The airline has defended its handling of the situation, stating that the delay resulted from a bird strike on the aircraft’s previous journey, which necessitated engineering checks and caused crew to exceed their regulated operating hours.
An easyJet spokesman said: “We provided updates directly via SMS, email, announcements at the airport and our Flight Tracker and our team at the airport assisted customers with arranging hotel accommodation and meals.”
The carrier maintains these circumstances were beyond their control.
Despite the extensive disruption to his journey, Chazen has been offered just £21 in compensation, covering only his out-of-pocket expenses for food and drink during the delay.
