EY140: Countless Delays on Etihad Flight Results in Passenger Frustrations

February 6, 2023

ABU DHABI | Passengers has spoken out on Social Media following countless delays onboard an Etihad Airways flight from Toronto to Abu Dhabi. The flight, EY140, on February 4th, landed almost 10 hours late in Abu Dhabi this morning.

At first, the flight was uneventful. However, shortly after takeoff, the aircraft diverted back to Toronto after almost 1 hour and 30 minutes in the air. The passengers were initially told that it was a weight issue and that fuel needed to be drained from the aircraft, then stated they were waiting for a spare part that needed to be replaced. During the period, the air conditioning was turned off in the aircraft, but passengers remained understanding.

Passengers were not given an option to leave the flight until 4 hours later, when the cabin crew said that they "were free to go the whole time". After a long wait on the ground, the flight departed Toronto- but diverted to Kuwait to change the crew as they were past their maximum duty hours. This resulted in another delay as the passengers had to wait for the crew transfer. Finally, the aircraft landed in Abu Dhabi at 5.29am on February 5th- way past its initial arrival at 7.20pm the previous night.

Still, the nightmare was not over for some. For passengers transiting in Abu Dhabi, it was nowhere near the end of their troubles. All the transiting passengers were given alternative flights departing within 8-24 hours as they had missed their original flight. Apparently, they were given one food coupon each, but unfortunately almost all restaurants were rejecting it. The airline arranged hotel rooms for those affected, but the wait for the visa took at least 4 hours. The passengers remained in the airport terminal, with no lounge access and food.

The aircraft operating this flight, A6-BLT, is a 5-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner delivered in April 2018 to Etihad Airways. The aircraft re-entered service shortly after the incident, operating EY223 to Delhi.

Sources: @SumitDadwal12 on Twitter, FlightRadar24, Planespotters.net

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