Brits stranded in 'war zone' conditions for 12 hours as TUI plane diverts mid-flight due to 'smoking'
Passengers were left stranded overnight at an airport in a scene described as like a "war zone in a lounge" after a TUI flight was diverted when a couple was allegedly caught smoking onboard.
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The pilot of the Gatwick-bound plane from Cancun, Mexico announced the diversion to Bangor International Airport, Maine four hours into the flight due to a couple smoking in the toilets.
British passenger Terry Lawrance, 66, claimed the pair were "obviously drunk" and were removed once they landed on US soil at 9:30pm local time.
Mr Lawrance said the remaining passengers were kept on the plane for five hours waiting to resume their journey, but the flight was eventually abandoned as the crew had reached the legal working hour limit and could no longer continue.
After disembarking, he claimed they were ushered into room that was "part of the military base of the airport" for 12 hours during which "it all went pear shaped."
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He told The Mirror: "We were there for over 12 hours. Everybody was fed up. In fairness, they started bringing out airbeds, but it was like free-for-all for vultures.
"It was like a warzone in a lounge - rows and rows of beds. All our luggage was still on the plane whilst we waited.
"TUI told us a relief crew was being sent from the UK because the current crew had used up their hours."
Mr Lawrance claimed passengers were not offered a drink for six or seven hours.
17 hours after they landed in Maine, they finally boarded a flight to Gatwick at 3pm local time on Wednesday, July 9. All passengers safely arrived in the UK.
TUI has been contacted for comment by LBC. It declined to comment to The Mirror.
In March, a United Airlines flight en route to Shanghai, China, was forced to turn back over the weekend after the pilot forgot their passport.
According to the airline, the incident occurred on United Flight 198, which was traveling from Los Angeles to Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
Flight data from FlightAware.com showed the flight departed on time just before 2pm but was diverted to San Francisco, where it landed shortly after 5pm.
The aircraft was carrying 257 passengers and 13 crew members.
United Airlines issued a brief statement, confirming that the pilot lacked a passport, which led to the decision to return the plane to California.
A replacement crew was then assigned to fly the passengers to their planned destination.
Passengers received meal vouchers and compensation, in compensation for the disruption and delay.