A broken down plane, repeated cancellations and angry passengers: around a hundred Belgians, Dutch and Germans are stuck at Windhoek airport in Namibia, according to our colleagues from the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
Since last Friday, a plane from Discover Airlines, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, has been grounded at Windhoek airport, in Namibia. A mechanical failure forced the plane to remain on the ground, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded with no option to return to Frankfurt, Germany. Four days after the cancellation of the flight, no clear prospect of departure has yet been announced.
The problem is believed to be linked to a defective part, unavailable locally and requiring transport from Germany. Although this part was sent the next day, the repairs continued to cause daily postponements.
“We are Lufthansa’s toys”
Some passengers, notably Dutch people, expressed their frustration. “We are Lufthansa’s toy“, declared one of them, on condition of anonymity.
Four days after the scheduled date of their return, they still do not know when they will be able to return to Europe. These passengers fear that publicly criticizing the company will jeopardize their chances of benefiting from rare flight opportunities.
Limited flights and insufficient solutions
The situation is complicated by logistical constraints. Namibia, a country renowned for its safaris and wildlife, only offers one direct daily flight to Europe, operated by the same company Discover Airlines.
With an Airbus A330-300 capable of carrying around 280 passengers, rerouting alternatives are limited, especially during this peak tourist season.
“Due to the very limited possibilities for rebooking, we were only able to offer quick options to some of the passengers affected“, explains a spokesperson for Discover Airlines, while affirming that the safety of travelers remains the top priority.
Namibia stranded tourists Namibia plane breakdown Discover Airlines Lufthansa plane breakdown passengers stranded Windhoek Discover Airlines Windhoek
Related News :