Scores of flight passengers in the UK were left waiting for more than half a day after their pilot announced that he had tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
In one of three viral videos shared by English hockey player Darcy Bourne on TikTok, the pilot of the British Airways flight can be heard telling passengers about his Covid-19 test report and about the airline’s efforts to replace him.
“What we’re currently doing is looking for another pilot to take my place and that process is ongoing, but it’s not going to happen quickly and at the moment we have got people in the process of trying to find someone,” the pilot said over the in-flight intercom.
The announcement was made just moments before the flight pushed back from the gate, according to Stuff.
In the second video, Bourne said that all passengers were evacuated from the plane after five hours and given food vouchers worth £4 and were asked to wait in the departure lounge. The passengers were later asked to reboard the plane after it was confirmed that the pilot’s Covid-19 test result was a false positive.
According to schedule, the flight to Barbados from London’s Heathrow airport is about nine hours. The journey ultimately took 17 hours, and passengers reached Barbados on Wednesday morning.
The British Airways apologised to the passengers and also thanked them for their patience and understanding while its teams sorted the matter. The airline also promised to reach out to the passengers from the concerned flight and make a goodwill gesture.
