Air passengers were removed from a holiday jet – because there wasn’t enough oxygen on board.
It happened when holiday-makers boarded the easyJet plane at Alicante to be told an ill woman on the incoming flight had used up much of the allocated oxygen.
Eight passengers were told to leave the flight as there was only enough oxygen for 156.
Pensioner Terry Gorman was on board the EZY6420 flight on Wednesday.
The retired business management consultant, of Ouston, Chester-le-Street, said: “We all lined up to get on the flight but we could see there was something going on. The plane that had come in for us to go out on had officials, police and ambulance crews around it.
“An announcement was made in Spanish and then messages started filtering down the queue. A guy said there was only enough room for 156 passengers. I thought it was a wind up.”
Terry, 76, who has four children, 12 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren, added: “When we got on the plane there was a delay and people were racing backwards and forwards. Then the pilot explained on the inward flight a seriously ill woman on board had used so much oxygen during the flight that the oxygen onboard the return flight had fallen below flight regulations.
“He said they weren’t allowed to borrow any oxygen from another flight and therefore only had enough oxygen for 156 passengers.”
Terry, married to Martha, 77, was travelling alone after visiting a friend, said: “There weren’t enough volunteers to get off so the pilot said an international agreement in situations like this had to be adhered to. And that was those who checked in last were the first ones off.
“I stayed on the flight but my question is how do they calculate how much oxygen each person uses? If it was bottled oxygen surely they could replace them.”
An easyJet spokesman said: “easyJet can confirm that a medical emergency on flight EZY6419 from Newcastle to Alicante meant there was insufficient oxygen on board to safely comply with CAA regulations on the return flight.
“The safety and wellbeing of easyJet’s passengers and crew is always our primary concern and to ensure we safely complied with CAA guidelines eight passengers were asked to change flights. This ensured there was enough oxygen on board to assist passengers should an incident or medical emergency occur on the return journey. Six passengers travelled on the next available flight and two passengers remained in Alicante overnight.”