Sick crew member grounds Bali bound Jetstar flight
Reports have surfaced that a Jetstar flight departing Perth heading to Bali was cancelled last minute when a crew member became ill and was unable to fly aboard the plane.
According to WA Today passengers waiting to board the plane were told via loudspeaker that the flight was cancelled.
The surprise cancellation occurred only moments before the plane was scheduled to commence boarding.
A Jetstar spokesperson said the flight attendant became sick shortly before take-off.
The A320 aircraft was left with only a crew of three, which does not adhere to the guidelines set by the Australian aviation regulations.
A minimum of four crew members is required for the operation of the aircraft according to the regulatory body.
A Jetstar spokesman said the airline was forced to make the last-minute cancellation when it was unable to find a replacement crew member for the attendant according to WA Today.
Consequently the decision was made to cancel the flight however approximately 10 people were able to catch a following flight an hour later according to a passenger.
"When we asked why they said a staff member didn't turn up. We saw the pilots on the plane so assumed it was a flight attendant," she told WA Today.
“The lines were huge and going nowhere at the Jetstar counter.”
The same passenger was offered an alternative Jetstar flight at 8pm but decided to book a flight with another airline stating to WA Today that she only had a short trip planned to Bali.
Most passengers were able to fly to Bali later that day on alternative Jetstar flights however some were forced to wait until Sunday morning to fly out.
Yahoo7 contacted Jetstar for comment.
Newsbreak – January 23
