Scores of passengers have been stranded at the airport in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, after the flight they booked to airlift them to Accra was cancelled late Thursday.
Narrating their ordeal to Joy News’ Hashmin Mohammed, one of the passengers said they were scheduled to board Africa World Airline, flight number 169 on Thursday evening but the flight was “cancelled at the eleventh hour due to operational challenges”
“After they collected our luggage and did all the checking, we were ready to board the flight only for them to tell us that they are sorry but the flight has been cancelled,” one of the stranded passengers lamented.
He added that the authorities assured them that they were working to fix the issue but about 1:00 am Friday, he received a text from the flight managers saying they are sorry they can’t arrange for another flight with a lot of excuses.
“We thought when we come here today [Friday]”, we will be prioritized but all they told us was that the first flight has been booked so there’s nothing they can do about it,” he said.
He added that they do not have any other alternative to go to Accra because most of them have exhausted their cash on Hotel fees and the flight’s fares.
“…they are not telling us anything meaningful, they should tell us the alternative”, he lamented.
Some of the stranded passengers have threatened to boycott the first flight supposed to leave today until an amicable solution which will see them being transported to Accra as well, is reached.
“What they should do is to cut half of the people on that flight and let us board it so they can also go on the next one because we were supposed to leave yesterday,” one of them said.
A lady who also spoke to the reporter said they are “ready to board the flight as a trotro [commercial vehicle]”.
“I am even ready to enter the cockpit and sit by the pilots and engage them in conversation while flying to Accra,” she stated.
The authorities are yet to officially comment on the issue.
Source: MyJoyOnline.com