Chaotic Delays at Budapest Airport: Wizz Air Passengers Endure Hours of Waiting
Chaos and confusion reigned at Budapest Airport on Thursday evening as a Wizz Air flight to Milan was delayed for over five hours. Passengers were left in the dark as to the reason behind the delay, with the cabin crew themselves unaware of the situation. The flight, scheduled to depart at 7:10 pm, was initially delayed until 9:20 pm, then further postponed to 10:20 pm. It was eventually able to take off the next day at 12:30 am.
Passengers boarded the plane at 10:30 pm, expecting a regular security check before takeoff. However, they were surprised to see the captain and cabin crew in a huddle at the front of the aircraft. It soon became clear that the crew had exceeded their working time limit, forcing them to disembark the passengers and await a replacement staff. The flight was rescheduled for 12:30 am.
One passenger named Balázs, who had quickly passed through the security check, assumed that the delay would be a couple of hours due to the ongoing strikes at Italian airports. However, he and others were caught off guard by the subsequent developments. Despite the inconvenience, Wizz Air assisted passengers by providing HUF 4,000 (EUR 10.5) food and drink vouchers.
After midnight, a new cabin crew was brought in, and it seemed that the flight would finally depart at 12:50 am. However, the new captain announced a minor technical issue that needed to be resolved before takeoff. Fortunately, this only resulted in a further 10-minute delay. The flight eventually departed Budapest at almost 1 am and arrived in Milan in the early hours of Sunday.
Wizz Air has not yet provided a statement concerning the incident. Passengers expressed their frustration and confusion, particularly as they were not informed of the initial delays. Despite the inconvenience, the airline’s assistance in providing food and drink vouchers helped alleviate some of the frustration for the affected passengers.
