Tui Netherlands Boeing 787 Passengers Stuck In Curaçao For Easter
After the crew spotted cracks in the windshield of a TUI fly Netherlands aircraft from the Dominican Republic on way to Amsterdam, the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Curaçao. As a result of the detour, some 300 travelers have been trapped on the island during the busy Easter season, with over 100 of them unable to locate lodging.
passengers trapped in Curaçao during the Easter holiday season. Hundreds of people were stranded on Curaçao, the Caribbean island country, after their aircraft was diverted due to weather conditions. When the Boeing 787-8 was flying flight OR703 from Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) to Amsterdam via Bonaire, the crew decided to make a precautionary diversion to Curaçao. The aircraft had been scheduled to land in Amsterdam.
The pilots of the Boeing 787 made the decision to divert when they saw cracks in the cockpit glass of the aircraft. When the aircraft turned back, it was flying at FL390 around 150 nautical miles east of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and approximately 490 nautical miles northeast of Curaçao.
The plane landed at Willemstad Airport without incident around 90 minutes after it had turned around and returned. Passengers were stranded on the aircraft for a lengthy amount of time, during which TUI fly Netherlands provided food and beverages to keep them occupied.
According to a spokeswoman for TUI fly Netherlands,
“Following the layover in Bonaire, the captain observed a fracture in the glass of the cockpit. In addition, with a break in the window overlooking the ocean, you’d prefer not to do so. As a result, he made a cautious landing on the island of Curaçao just to be safe.”
There is no news on when a replacement aircraft would be available to transport the stranded passengers back to their homes. According to the information available, TUI will not be sending a replacement aircraft and will instead wait for repairs to be completed on the Boeing 787-8.
The representative went on to say,
As a matter of safety, the window must be fixed before the aircraft may re-enter the airspace, according to the pilots.
Easter is a very busy time of year.
Unfortunately for the passengers aboard, they landed in Curaçao at one of the busiest periods of the year, when hotels were nearly completely booked up, resulting in a miserable experience. While around 200 passengers were supplied with hotel rooms, an additional 100 passengers stayed at Willemstad Airport since they were unable to obtain lodging.
According to reports, the airline has taken every effort to accommodate the guests, including contacting a care home that was vacant at the time.
According to a spokesman for the company,
“Curaçao is really crowded at the moment. It is the holiday of Easter. We’ve been calling and calling, but the hotels are virtually completely booked. We even spent some time renovating a nursing facility that was no longer in use. However, it is true that there are still around 100 individuals who do not have access to shelter. That is aggravating enough, especially given the fact that the airport has been closed, as I understand it.”
PH-TFL is the registration of a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
The aircraft in question is a Boeing 787-8 (registration: PH-TFL), which is seven years old and in service. The jet, which was leased from aviation lessor Yamasa Aircraft Leasing, was delivered to TUI fly Netherlands in October of last year.
TUI fly Netherlands has a modest fleet of three Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which it uses for its international flights. In addition, the airline operates one Boeing 767-300 and six new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Another TUI fly Netherlands Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on its way to Curaçao was put out of service in July 2020 because its engine crashed with a jet bridge on the way.
