Passengers put on wrong flight in Saudi

A passenger missing a flight or taking the wrong one is common, but to let all booked passengers get on a wrong flight is unprecedented.

That was what happened in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh airport on Tuesday, when hundreds of passengers heading for the western town of Taif were given a flight for the southern town of Abha. Just minutes before take-off, airlines officials realised the mistake.

“After we were told to fasten our seat belts and the plane was ready to move, the pilot switched the engine off and we were told to leave the aircraft,” Ahmed Al Khashrami, a passenger, told the Arabic language daily Sabq.

“We were then taken to another aircraft as this one was flying to Abha not Taif.

“The passengers on the other aircraft were also told to leave and taken to that flight.
“It was clear the Saudia airlines got mixed up between the two flights.”

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