Passengers were stranded in London after a pushback tug at London Luton Airport (LTN) struck an Israir aircraft scheduled to fly to Tel Aviv on Thursday evening, forcing the airline to cancel the flight.
Israir flight 116 from London Luton Airport to Ben Gurion Airport was scheduled to depart at 5 p.m. BST on Thursday and arrive in Israel at 12:05 a.m. on Friday.
According to a message sent to the passengers from the airline, the tug damaged the aircraft while it was being towed, leaving it grounded.
According to Israir, this was the third incident of its kind at the airport, and no investigation had been conducted into any of the cases.
“Following the accident and after its evacuation, the passengers were taken off the plane, transferred to the terminal and waited to receive their luggage,” Israir said in a statement.
'Safety and security is top priority'
The airline arranged transportation and accommodations for the passengers. It also offered to reimburse passengers for food and travel expenses incurred through private arrangements, subject to the submission of required documentation and in accordance with company policy.
Passengers reportedly waited for hours aboard the aircraft without air conditioning before disembarking and being transferred to hotels.
"Just had the most horrific experience I’ve ever had on an airplane," Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll said in a message on their X/Twitter account.
"We were on @Israir_israel plan for over 2.5 hours with no AC. Doors closed most of the time. Children & adults panicking. An absolute NIGHTMARE," she said.
Shabbat observant passengers were forced to remain in England and are expected to return to Israel on Sunday, according to the airline.
“Israir apologizes to its passengers for the inconvenience caused to them as a result of an event beyond its control, and continues to accompany the passengers until they return to Israel. The safety and security of the passengers is the company's top priority,” the airline said.