TUI orders 47 ‘sick’ passengers off flight from Cape Verde to Manchester

An airline ordered 47 ‘sick’ passengers off a British-bound plane after crew members feared they would have to make a medical diversion.

The TUI flight had been due to depart for Manchester from Aristides Pereira International Airport in Boa Vista, Cape Verde, on October 6.

But a number of tourists staying on the islands in the central Atlantic Ocean off the North West coast of Africa, had been hit with gastric illness during their stay.

Once everyone had boarded the plane, cabin crew members investigated how many passengers had been ill, and asked anyone affected to turn on their overhead light.

One traveller, Michaela McLachlan, 53, a nurse from Skipton, North Yorkshire, said: ‘All the lights just went ‘ding, ding, ding’.’

The captain then asked all of the passengers who had indicated they had been ill to leave the aircraft for a medical check.

Mrs McLachlan and her husband James, 54, were two of the 47 people asked to leave the plane.

She said: ‘We were told that they initially had concerns about a little girl who was poorly. But the crew had got wind of the fact that quite a few of the passengers had had this bug.

‘We’d been ill earlier in the week but it hadn’t ruined our holiday. We’d just cancelled a few of the day trips and stayed on our terrace.

The TUI flight had been due to depart for Manchester Airport (file image) from Cape Verde

‘When the cabin crew asked us about it, I turned on our light because I thought we should be honest.

‘With hindsight, I wish I’d never turned it on because of the stress and upheaval it caused. They told us we all had to get off the flight for a check with the doctor.

‘They gave us in-transit cards, but then immediately said: ‘You can’t get back on’. The captain said we couldn’t get back on in case we had to take a medical diversion. 

‘We’d left everything on there. I didn’t have my passport or anything. My husband is diabetic and started to go hypo because he didn’t have any of his snacks.

‘Hours later with nothing to eat or drink but a box of juice and some biscuits, we were told we wouldn’t be flying at all. It was a nightmare. It wasn’t like everyone was being sick or queuing for the bathroom.’

Passengers said that hours later, everyone was given a doctor’s note confirming their fitness to fly.

TUI said passengers reporting the symptoms of gastroenteritis were removed from the flight

To make matters worse, the couple were transferred to a different hotel for two nights.

Mr and Mrs McLachlan managed to get a flight to London Gatwick on October 8 and eventually made it home the following morning.

Others waited even longer and were flown to Manchester via the nearby island of Sal and Brussels.

A TUI spokesman said: ‘We can confirm as a precautionary measure any passengers reporting symptoms consistent with gastroenteritis were removed from flight TOM227 before departure from Cape Verde earlier this month.

‘The passengers were taken to a medical facility and given temporary accommodation until they obtained a fit to fly certificate.

‘Alternative flights to the UK were then arranged, along with any transport where necessary. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always our highest priority.

‘We are in contact with all affected customers to apologise for any inconvenience to their holiday.’