easyJet passengers left horrified after pilot revealed plane engine wouldn't start

Passengers on an easyJet flight were left horrified after their pilot reportedly told them there was only a “50/50” chance of both engines working, it was claimed.

Stunned holidaymakers who had already been delayed for 40 hours at Malaga airport in Spain claimed the pilot told them there was a high likelihood of only one engine working – leaving one passenger so distraught he vomited.

easyJet has since stressed that the pilot would never have attempted to fly without both engines working correctly.

The passengers were supposed to fly to Bristol on Thursday, June 8 but were delayed due to a technical issue.

They finally boarded a plane on Saturday, June 10, when the pilot apparently told them he couldn’t start one of the engines.

He reportedly came out of the cockpit to explain the situation, asking for a show of hands from who wanted to stay on the plane and who wanted to get off.

A man from Bath, Somerset, who asked not to be named, was appointed as a spokesman for the 150-odd passengers aboard the flight.

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He said: “The pilot himself said he’d never heard or done anything like this in 37 years of flying.

“He gave us the option, asked us what he should do. He asked for a show of hands. There were some who just wanted to try it, they wanted to get home. But most didn’t.”

The man, who himself apparently threw up amid the stressful situation, said chaos had broken out among frustrated passengers.

“There were girls hyperventilating, lots of people were panicking, he said. “There were elderly people on there, and lots of children.

“The worst thing was we had to wait another hour or two before they would actually let us off the plane.”

The passengers eventually flew back on a replacement aircraft on Saturday.

Mum-of-four Jemma Hooper, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, said: “It was absolutely horrendous.

“They are putting people into a broken plane to make it look like they were trying.”

A spokesman for EasyJet confirmed that the flight from Malaga to Bristol was delayed overnight due to a technical issue.

He said: “The pilot attempted to use one engine to start the other engine as is normal procedure.

“Because he was aware that the passengers had already been considerably delayed due to a technical problem the pilot asked the passengers if they would like to get off or remain on board whilst the engine start up sequence continued.

“It was then decided to fly the passengers back on a replacement aircraft.

“At no point did the pilot ask passengers, or would ever attempt, to fly the aircraft without both engines working correctly.”