MONTREAL- A Montreal-area couple and their friend faced what they described as a “total nightmare” when their Porter Airlines (PD) flight from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Montreal (YUL) turned into a 7-hour tarmac delay.
This was followed by an abrupt cancellation, leaving them stranded with over $1,700 in unexpected expenses.
Photo: Porter AirlinesPorter Passengers Flight Delay
On March 30, Alessio Recine, his wife Azzurra Billig, and their friend Marie Lessard boarded Porter Flight PD572 at 4:30 p.m., expecting a 3-hour journey home. Instead, they remained confined to the aircraft for nearly 7 hours without departing.
“The doors closed. We thought we were leaving, but instead we stayed on that aeroplane for more than six hours without leaving the tarmac.”
Alessio Recine
Passengers reportedly received minimal provisions during the extended delay. “Seven hours stuck on a plane without food. There were parents on the flight with children. It took an upset mother demanding water for the flight staff to finally distribute water to passengers,” Lessard recalled.
Photo- Embraer (X)Midnight Cancellation
Around 11:30 p.m., the flight was finally canceled. Passengers claim they received no guidance from airline staff after disembarking.
“What’s not normal is dumping people in an airport in the middle of the night and not telling them what to do. We’re in your care. At least tell us where to go.”
Alessio Recine, characterising the situation as “complete abandonment.”
The travellers later discovered through the airline’s app that their flight had been rescheduled for two days later – information they say was never communicated directly by Porter representatives.
Unable to extend their Florida stay, Recine and his companions booked alternative flights home, incurring approximately $1,200 in additional expenses beyond the refunded original tickets.
Recine submitted a compensation claim on April 2 but reports receiving no substantive response. When he called to follow up, he was reportedly told claims from mid-February were still being processed.
Photo- Embraer (X)Porter Airlines Remarks
Porter Airlines (PD) attributed the cancellation to “restrictions regarding air traffic control,” stating that passengers were not entitled to expense reimbursement under these circumstances.
In a statement to Global News, Porter explained: “Many compounding issues affected PD572, which is why different information was shared with passengers as the situation unfolded. Gate availability was limited due to congestion on the ground. Once the maintenance issue was resolved, the aircraft waited in a queue with all other affected flights for clearance from air traffic control.”
The airline added that the crew eventually exceeded their maximum duty time, forcing the flight’s cancellation.
Fort Lauderdale Airport; Photo- FlyUSAAfter Global News contacted Porter Airlines (PD), the company offered Recine a $150 voucher for future travel. However, the couple has indicated they have no intention of using it.
Porter maintains that Recine received a response within the 30 days required by Air Passenger Protection Regulations guidelines.
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The post Porter Airlines Passengers Endure 7-Hour Flight Delay on Tarmac appeared first on Aviation A2Z.
