"Empty Seats Remain... 'Too Heavy to Fly': UK Airline Asks Six Passengers to Disembark"

Takeoff Delayed by 12 Minutes... Compensation Offered to Disembarked Passengers
Short Runway and Weather Conditions Reduced Maximum Takeoff Weight

A flight operated by the British low-cost carrier easyJet was delayed after requesting some passengers to disembark due to aircraft weight restrictions.

According to reports from the BBC and the Daily Mail, on April 11 (local time) at around 8:40 a.m., easyJet Flight U2 7008, which was scheduled to depart from Southend Airport in the UK for Malaga, Spain, experienced a delay just before takeoff due to weight limit issues.

At that time, the captain announced over the intercom while taxiing on the runway that "the weight of the aircraft has exceeded the permissible limit for takeoff," and explained, "We cannot operate unless six passengers voluntarily disembark or all luggage is removed."

Passenger Kelly Wayland said, "At first, I thought the announcement was a joke," while another passenger, Carly Mowbray, also reported, "There were still empty seats, so everyone was confused when we heard that more people needed to get off."

Aircrafts belonging to the British airline easyJet. Yonhap News Agency

The airline considered transporting checked luggage separately, but the situation was resolved in about 10 minutes when five passengers voluntarily disembarked. It is reported that those who left the aircraft were applauded by the remaining passengers as they exited the plane.

The flight took off about 20 minutes later. According to the airline, the official delay time was 12 minutes.

easyJet explained, "Weight restrictions were applied due to the weather conditions and the length of the runway at the time," adding, "The safety of our passengers and crew is our utmost priority, and weight limits are a standard applied by all airlines for safety reasons."

The airline also stated that the disembarked passengers would be provided with a free alternative flight departing from London Gatwick Airport on the same day, and that compensation in accordance with regulations would be offered.

However, the specific amount of compensation was not disclosed. According to guidance from the UK aviation authorities, in similar cases, compensation of approximately 175 to 350 pounds (about 350,000 to 700,000 won) is provided depending on the length of the delay.

This situation appears to have resulted from a combination of airport environment and weather conditions. The runway at Southend Airport is about 1,800 meters long, which is shorter than those at major international airports, and when factors such as temperature and wind are unfavorable, the maximum takeoff weight allowed for an aircraft can be reduced.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.