Passengers Stranded For 17 Hours After Couple Caught Smoking In Flight Bathroom Mid-Air

A passenger plane in the US was stranded for over 17 hours earlier this week after a couple were caught smoking in the bathroom mid-flight. On Tuesday (Jul 8), TUI Airways flight BY49, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, took off from Cancun, Mexico, but had to be diverted to Bangor International Airport in Maine, according to a report in New York Post.

The plane landed at the airport at 9:30 pm local time. The couple smoking in the restroom were believed to be drunk and taken away, while the remaining passengers were told that the plane would take off as soon as the required paperwork was over.

However, British passenger Terry Lawrance, 66, revealed that the passengers were forced to sit for another five hours. The original flight crew ended up not being able to continue as they would have exceeded their legal working hours. As a result, a relief flight had to be dispatched from the UK to the US to ferry them to their destination.

The situation turned pear-shaped from here as passengers were stuffed in a cramped lounge, which Mr Lawrence said was the military airbase section of the airport.

"It was like free-for-all for vultures. It was like a warzone in a lounge, rows and rows of beds," said Mr Lawrence.

"All our luggage was still on the plane whilst we waited," he added.

It wasn't until 3 pm the next day that they finally departed, a harrowing 17 and a half hours since they'd touched down in Maine. Thankfully, all the passengers arrived safely in London.

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Social media reacts

Reacting to the troubles faced by the passengers, social media users urged the authorities to take strict action against the couple, while others questioned if the pilots could have reacted differently.

"Did the smokers get arrested? Will they be made to pay for the fuel and other expenses incurred by the airline? Will they have to compensate the passengers who missed their connections?" said one user, while another added: "TSA should add cigarettes to the confiscation list."

A third commented: "They should've chastised them, and have them arrested at the gate. Not ground the whole plane. Back in the day people chain-smoked on planes."