What was supposed to be a routine journey turned into a night of confusion and frustration for passengers on EasyJet flight EZY8054 from Tenerife to London Gatwick. The flight, scheduled to depart at 20:05 on Sunday and arrive in London just after midnight, was instead delayed for several hours and eventually cancelled, with the rescheduled flight not taking off until 15:00 the following day.
Passengers’ dismay was compounded by a series of missteps and mishaps, including an overbooked aircraft and an unsanitary incident in one of the plane’s toilets, as reported by witnesses to the Daily Mail. The initial delay was exacerbated when passengers were required to switch to a smaller plane, prompting the removal of some passengers due to overbooking.
According to passenger accounts, the airline offered £500 vouchers to those willing to disembark and spend an additional night in Tenerife, but there were no takers, likely due to the late hour and travelers’ eagerness to return home. The ensuing negotiations and disagreements resulted in the removal of ten passengers, a process that reportedly took two hours and further delayed the flight.
Just when it seemed the flight was ready to depart, additional complications arose. The aircraft was deemed too heavy, leading to passengers’ luggage being transferred to other flights to London Gatwick. This caused further delays and growing frustrations among the passengers.
The situation took a turn for the worse when it was discovered that the front toilet of the plane had been significantly soiled, rendering it unusable. The pilot addressed the issue over the tannoy system, stating, “Rather entertaining to defecate the front toilet so we’re now staying the night here, we’re now going to get everyone off… and organise hotels then we’ll fly back tomorrow morning.”
However, despite initial assurances from EasyJet that accommodations would be provided, passengers were later informed they would have to make their own arrangements. The airline committed to refunding costs for reasonable accommodations, specifying a preference for three-star hotels.
