Five-hour flight delay from Chania to Thessaloniki ends in shouting and fainting

A technical problem turned a low-cost flight from Chania to Thessaloniki into a five-hour ordeal, with shouting, a fainting incident and a passenger taken to hospital.

The Boeing 737, carrying 183 people, was scheduled to leave Chania’s Daskalogiannis Airport at 4:40 p.m. A problem appeared while the plane was taxiing, prompting the pilot to return to the parking stand for inspection. A second attempt to start the engines about two hours later produced another warning on the instruments.

Passengers stayed inside the aircraft for roughly five hours. Reports said that when they asked for water, they were told they would have to pay for it, adding to the frustration. The flight eventually received clearance to depart, but several passengers objected as the aircraft began taxiing.

Shouting and confusion followed. One woman fainted and another suffered a panic attack, while police arrived and tried to calm the situation. In the end, 25 passengers chose not to continue and left the aircraft. One woman injured her leg while boarding a bus and was taken to hospital by ambulance for first aid.

The passengers who disembarked left for the city of Chania, while the others continued to Thessaloniki. The aircraft finally departed at 9:50 p.m., about five hours late, amid continuing anger among passengers.