Latest response from the airline: Passengers can receive compensation for being stranded for 7 and a half hours during the Shanghai Phuket flight. Airlines | Passengers | Half an hour
Recently, multiple passengers left messages and posted videos on social media claiming that a flight of Lucky Air from Shanghai Pudong to Phuket, Thailand, had made a layover in Penang, Malaysia. The passengers were trapped in the cabin for several hours and arrived in Phuket nearly 12 hours later than expected.
The reporter learned that the above flight is the HO1369 flight of Jixiang Airlines on July 21st. This flight will fly directly from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Phuket, Thailand. It is scheduled to depart at 17:15 on July 21st and is expected to arrive at Phuket International Airport at 21:40 on July 21st. The actual departure time of the flight was 18:37 on July 21st. It made an alternate landing at Penang International Airport at 0:19 on July 22nd, stayed for 7 and a half hours, took off at around 8:00 am on July 22nd, and arrived at Phuket around 9:00 am.
A netizen claiming to be a passenger of the flight left a message on social media saying, "I was on this flight, and only those who have experienced it firsthand know the feeling. I didn't breathe a breath of fresh air for more than ten hours. Finally, the plane refueled and took us to Phuket, which ended. I didn't get on the plane at 5 pm on the 21st and arrived at Phuket around 9 am on the 22nd."
Another netizen who claimed to be a passenger of the flight left a message saying that there were elderly people, children, and even infants on the plane who were cold, hungry, and tired. After 15 hours in this confined space, anyone's mind would collapse. There are many people on the plane without Malaysian phone cards and internet access, and their families should be so worried that they have been lost for more than ten hours.
In response to this incident, Jixiang Airlines stated that during the flight from Shanghai to Phuket, Thailand, due to poor local weather, the crew of the flight followed the tower's instructions to hover and wait. When preparing to land again, they encountered wind shear and had to go around. At this point, the aircraft's fuel level has reached the edge of whether to make an alternate landing. Considering the weather conditions, it may not be possible to land immediately. At the same time, the weather at nearby airports is not good. In the end, the crew chose the nearest eligible alternate airport, which is Penang, Malaysia.
According to the "Regulations on Normal Flight Management", after a delay on board, the carrier shall notify passengers of the delay reason, estimated delay time, and other flight dynamic information every 30 minutes. During the onboard delay period, the carrier shall ensure the normal use of washing equipment without affecting aviation safety. If the delay on board exceeds 2 hours, drinking water and food should be provided to the passengers on board. If the delay on board exceeds 3 hours and there is no clear departure time, the carrier shall arrange for passengers to disembark and wait on the aircraft without violating aviation safety and security regulations.
Why were passengers on this flight trapped in the cabin for several hours after the alternate landing in Penang? The person in charge of Jixiang Airlines told reporters that after the crew made a decision to alternate to Penang, the company and the flight crew continued to coordinate with the local airport, preparing some follow-up actions, such as refueling the plane, coordinating additional meals for passengers, and if the time is long, passengers need to enter the airport terminal to rest. The company has been striving for resource support, but due to the late night arrival time in Penang, the local airport's support capacity is limited, and many passengers on this flight do not have Malaysian visas. Therefore, although coordination has been ongoing, passengers and crew members have been trapped in the cabin of the plane until the refueling is completed and the flight is headed to Phuket.
"During the period of being trapped in Penang, the crew provided passengers with drinking water and Dim sum, and also continued to communicate with passengers, telling them about our coordination with the local airport, and calming passengers' feelings." The relevant responsible person said that it was really not easy for the passengers to stay in the cabin with limited space for a long time due to the flight delay, and Lucky Airlines also provided compensation for the passengers on the official APP side of the flight.
"Due to insufficient cash, when we arrived in Phuket, we provided a QR code for passengers to declare their information online. However, at that time, everyone hoped to get off the plane and contact their family as soon as possible, and they may not have noticed the information. Now, passengers can find 'Jikefu' in the 'After sales Service' section of the official APP, fill in their flight and personal information, and receive compensation online." The person in charge said.
