Image by Dr. Jaus via FlickrOne witness likened the scene on the Middle East Airlines service to "something from Lord Of The Flies" as passengers raided the galley for meal trays and a Lebanese woman suffered heart palpitations.
Speaking from Beirut, one London-based businessman today said: "The stewards told us there would be delays due to the bad weather. After four hours, one man had a bit too much to drink and began bouncing around and had to be removed.
"The atmosphere was very tense and a middle-aged man told the crew member he was an idiot and that was when the pushing and shoving began. The captain came out once and I told him he had failed in his duty, to which he replied that I should fly the plane."Too bad Jack Bauer wasn't on board. He could have flown the plane.
Don't think I'll be adding flying Middle East Airlines to my "must do" list any time soon.
article h/t Drudge
2 comments:
Don't forget Air Canada and the debacle Dec - Jan 2008 - 2009. The flight from Vancouver to Calgary sat on the Vancouver tarmack for close to 8 hours. The passengers were not allowed off, and the pilots eventually went into the terminal to beg passengers waiting for other (delayed) flights for any surplus diapers and formula for the infants stranded on board. Finally, Air Canada cancelled the flight, and the passengers were told to leave the plane. Don't think the luggage was unloaded, though. There was a story of a couple who went to WestJet and arranged a flight home after the problems with AC. Once in Calgary, they walked up to the Air Canada end of the terminal and there - lo and behold - was their luggage.
MEA was around in 1965 when I was stationed in Bahrain. Never flew it, it is Lebanon's airline.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Airlines
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