Passengers asked to leave EasyJet flight after plane deemed 'too heavy for take-off'
Five passengers agreed to leave an EasyJet flight from London Southend Airport after the plane was found to be too heavy to depart safely.
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The service to Malaga had been due to leave at 08:40 on Saturday, but the airline said weather conditions and the length of the runway meant weight restrictions had to be applied before take-off.
EasyJet said those who left the aircraft were transferred at no extra cost to London Gatwick for another flight later the same day, and would also receive compensation.
One passenger, Kelly Wayland, said she was taken aback when the captain asked for volunteers to get off the plane, and at first thought the announcement was not serious.
She said: “I just thought [the captain] was telling a joke, you know, just making a laugh about it.
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"I'm sort of a nervous flyer so if there's a bit of strange weather I do get nervous.
“That did make me feel a bit uneasy on the plane.”
Ms Wayland said staff briefly considered sending the luggage separately, but five people volunteered to disembark within about 10 minutes.
She said the passengers who got off were applauded by those who remained on board.
An EasyJet spokesperson said: “The safety and welfare of our passengers and crew is always EasyJet's highest priority.”
The airline has not said how much compensation will be offered.
Under UK Civil Aviation Authority guidance, passengers affected by the cancellation of a medium-haul flight could be entitled to between £175 and £350, depending on the delay.
A similar issue affected passengers on the same Southend to Malaga route in 2014.
Airlines do not normally weigh passengers individually before departure, instead relying on average weight estimates.
A 2022 study by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency found the average passenger weight, including hand luggage, was 84kg.
An EasyJet spokesperson told LBC: “Five passengers on flight EJU7008 from Southend to Malaga on Saturday volunteered to travel on alternative flights as a result of the aircraft being over the weight limits for the weather conditions and the short length of the runway. Weight restrictions are in place for all airlines for safety reasons.
“The customers were provided with transport and a later flight to Malaga on the same day, free of charge, from London Gatwick and we have been in touch with them to provide the compensation they are entitled to, in line with the regulations.
“The safety and welfare of our passengers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority.”