93 stranded as Icelandair flight from Alicante partially canceled

Ninety-three passengers were left stranded in Alicante, Spain, after a technical issue grounded half of a scheduled Icelandair flight to Iceland. A malfunction in one of the aircraft's emergency exits, rendering the slide inoperable, meant only 93 of the 186 passengers could board the plane.

The incident occurred after passengers had already settled into the aircraft, necessitating a partial evacuation. Icelandair stated that the cause of the malfunction is currently unknown. The airline is working to rebook all affected passengers onto alternative flights, with the hope that everyone can return home on the same day.

Guðni Sigurðsson, Icelandair's communications manager, explained that the selection of passengers who could fly was largely random, but the airline made an effort to prioritize families with children. "Icelandair tries to put families with children first," he said.

Those who could not travel were informed that they would need to arrange their own accommodation and cover travel expenses, with the understanding that receipts should be kept for reimbursement. Icelandair is in contact with the affected passengers to process refunds for the canceled flight and associated costs.

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Icelandair tries to put families with children first.