British passengers stranded in Cyprus after Thomas Cook plane aircon fault

British passengers stranded in Cyprus after Thomas Cook plane aircon fault
British passengers stranded in Cyprus after Thomas Cook plane aircon fault




Around 300 British holidaymakers were left stuck in Cyprus after their plane bound for Gatwick was forced to return to the island an hour into the flight when the air conditioning system broke down.

Thomas Cook Flight TCX1017 took off from Larnaca Airport at 11.30pm local time on Wednesday but was forced to turn back and landed in Cyprus at 2am local time, reports the Express.

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Some passengers took to Twitter to complain about a lack of information and refreshments.

One user wrote: "300 passengers stranded at Larnaca, confused messages and no rep in sight. Shocking treatment, no water, nothing."

However, a Thomas Cook spokesperson said the airline had "pulled out all the stops" to ensure passengers were comfortable.

Speaking to the MailOnline, a spokesperson for Thomas Cook Airlines said: "We'd like to sincerely apologise for the delay to this flight. The captain made the decision to return to Larnaca at around 11pm yesterday UK time due to a fault with the air conditioning system.

"Customers would have felt the cabin become much warmer as a result – this is due to the body heat of that many people in an enclosed space.

"Subsequently, we've pulled out all the stops to ensure the customers were taken care of really well. All customers were put up in hotels overnight – mostly in the Hilton – and provided with all meals and drinks."

The spokesperson added that the "departure time from Larnaca will be mid-afternoon UK time" on Thursday.

The news comes as the Abta Travel association issued a warning to British holidaymakers to stay safe as a searing heatwave hit Cyprus, with blistering temperatures recorded in the 40Cs.



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