Passengers Stuck on United Flight in Canada For More Than 14 Hours

United Airlines passengers stranded at least 16 hours after plane diversion to Canada

Passengers on a United Airlines flight found themselves stranded overnight in freezing weather after their plane was diverted to a remote airport in Canada for a medical emergency.

Flight 179 bound for Hong Kong from Newark, was diverted to the Goose Bay Airport in Newfoundland due to a medical emergency. The plane landed at the remote Canadian airbase at 9:31 p.m. local time. Passengers finally took off around 3:30 p.m. the next day, according to United. 

Passengers were stuck waiting on the freezing tarmac overnight thanks to a mechanical issue that prevented their flight from moving on to Hong Kong. Because the remote Canadian airport did not have a customs officer working overnight, passengers weren't allowed to deplane to stretch their legs or keep warm in the terminal. 

"The airport did not have customs officers overnight so we were not able to let customers depart the aircraft. An alternative aircraft is being flown in to transport customers back to Newark," the airline said in a statement. 

A passenger aboard the aircraft, Sonjay Dutt, wrote on Twitter that the plane's door had broken and they were stuck on board, even as temperatures plummeted to negative-20 degrees outside. 

Goose Bay officials brought coffee and donuts for the passengers to help them make it through their ordeal. 

A second plane was sent by the carrier to Goose Bay Airport to take the customers back to Newark Liberty International Airport.

"We apologize to our customers and our crew is doing everything possible to assist them during the delay," the company said in a statement about the incident. 

Passengers were offered meals, hotel accommodations and compensation for the ordeal once they arrived back in New Jersey. 

"Finally got off plane, got on a bus and now waiting to be taken to new rescue plane to fly back to Newark.  16 hours since we landed in Goose Bay," Dutt wrote on Twitter. 


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