Tourists Stranded at Chelyabinsk Airport En Route to Phuket
On Wednesday, 28 January, a flight to Phuket was delayed for over 12 hours at Chelyabinsk Airport. Travelers express concerns that their long-awaited vacation may be spoiled.
One of the passengers provided details: Azur Air flight ZF-2951 on the Chelyabinsk-Phuket route was originally scheduled to depart at 22:45 on 27 January. First, it was postponed to 05:50 on 28 January, and then pushed back again to 10:20. After arriving at the airport, the departure was delayed for another four hours, and only then were passengers informed about an engine malfunction.
«Plus, due to the delay, the crew»s working hours ran out, and they now need to rest. As a result, the departure was postponed for another eight hours, meaning the flight is being delayed by a full day. Right now, about 300 passengers are being placed in hotels,« the woman said.
The tourist clarified that there were not enough rooms at the airport hotel for everyone. Some passengers are scheduled to be accommodated at the Malakhit Hotel.
«They said the estimated delay is eight hours, and if the engine isn»t fixed by then, there will be an additional six-hour wait for another plane to arrive,« she added.
The Azur Air press service confirmed that the flight was delayed for technical reasons.
«Airline representatives are working with the passengers. For the duration of the wait for departure, all passengers were provided with services in accordance with federal aviation regulations: accommodation in a hotel with hot meals and soft drinks provided. Flight safety is the airline»s top priority,« the airline stated.
