Cancelled THAI flight leaves 300 passengers stranded in Zurich
Some 300 passengers booked on flight TG 971 of Thai Airways International (THAI) found themselves stranded at the Zurich Airport in Switzerland on Monday (January 15) after their flight to Thailand was cancelled, a news source told The Nation on Tuesday.
The flight was scheduled to reach Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok at 1.15pm on Monday, but was cancelled due to a problem with the plane. THAI notified passengers that it could not find a spare part to fix the problem and would have to wait for the part to be shipped from Thailand the following day.
According to the source, the airline handed out food coupons worth 20 Swiss Franc (823 baht) to each passenger, as well as provided hotel rooms and shuttle buses to transport the stranded passengers.
THAI arranged a new flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday at 4pm but later postponed it to 6pm, causing several passengers to complain about the tardiness of the airline. Many were concerned about whether they would be able to reach Thailand in time for their planned vacations.
A Thai passenger visiting home told the source that the incident had severely affected the image of Thailand as a global vacation destination, as most of the passengers from Switzerland are hoping to escape the cold weather and enjoy Thailand’s warm climate.
“As a national flag carrier, THAI should maintain its quality standard that has won the airline several international accolades in the past,” said the passenger.
