Latest news with #cabinCrew
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Why bungling cabin crew could have been reason behind terrifying evacuation of Ryanair jet in Majorca that left passengers with broken bones as they jumped from wing
Ryanair cabin crew are being blamed for allegedly bungling the evacuation of a holiday flight that left passengers with broken bones after they were forced to jump from a wing due to a false fire alert. Several people ended up in hospital after getting seriously injured when panic spread onboard the jet from Palma in Majorca to Manchester on Saturday night. Ryanair are being urged to investigate the evacuation procedure that left at least two British citizens with broken bones and six people hospitalised. 18 were injured in total. The airline has been accused of playing down the incident by claiming passengers only suffered 'very minor injuries' like ankle sprains in a statement where they 'sincerely apologised' to those involved. Danielle Kelly, 56, whose right leg and left arm are now in plaster, claims people started 'jumping for their lives' after a member of the cabin crew with a phone to his ear ran down the plane shouting: 'Everyone get off the aircraft now, everyone evacuate'. Air crew apparently told travellers to leave behind their belongings 'in case there is a fire and the plane explodes' which, passengers said, only added to the panic. An aviation expert told MailOnline today that the cabin crew and passengers shouldn't have found out that there was a fire warning - the reason panic spreads really quickly and often unnecessarily. The expert said that cabin crew should remain calm and are trained not to evacuate until instructed by the captain over the PA. The pilot and co-pilot have a checklist to complete, include shutting down the engines and lowering the flaps, before ordering an evacuation to ensure that passengers can can slide off the wing without serious injury. In Majorca Ryanair cabin crew deployed the emergency slides at the front doors but passengers sitting in the middle claim they were left with no choice but to jump up to 18ft from the wings onto the tarmac. When done properly, the drop should be around 4ft, MailOnline understands. Ryanair has blamed 'a false fire warning light indication' - and insists that passengers only suffered 'minor injuries'. There is a possibility that passengers panicked and decided to open the overwing exits without being told to, MailOnline's expert claimed. But people on board are blaming the staff on board. Ryanair has been asked to comment. It came as traumatised passengers hit out at Ryanair after they were seriously injured jumping off the wings of a holiday jet when panic spread about a suspected fire onboard. Danielle Kelly, 56, a self-employed fitness instructor, who was sat in row 18 with her daughter, Frankie, 26, said she feared there was a terrorist onboard so followed other passengers out onto the wing in the chaos. 'I saw a member of the cabin crew run from the back to the front of the plane, he was on the phone and suddenly started shouting, "everyone get off the aircraft now, everyone evacuate".' 'It was utter chaos, passengers were screaming, 'open the doors, open the doors'. It was terrifying, I thought there was a terrorist on board, so I grabbed my daughter and got out.' Mrs Kelly, who had been on a week-long holiday in the resort of Portals with her daughter, Frankie, 26, friend Francine Elkinson, 57, and her daughter, Savannah, 26, suffered a broken right heel, fractured left wrist and smashed elbow, when she plummeted to the concrete below. Speaking from her hospital bed, in Palma, Mrs Kelly, of Whitefield, Greater Manchester, added: 'There was no announcement from the pilot or any of the other cabin crew. The door nearest to us opened and everyone ran onto the wing and started jumping off. 'I'm 56-years-old, I didn't want to jump but I feared for my life. It felt like a life or death situation. I knew as soon as I landed that I was seriously injured, I couldn't walk but the ground staff were shouting for everyone to move away from the aircraft in case it exploded. 'It was terrifying, we've been left completely traumatised by the experience. I've got my foot and arm in plaster and I've got to have three different surgeries to pin my foot, wrist and elbow tomorrow, I'm in a mess.' Mrs Elkinson, 57, also suffered a bad break to her right foot and underwent a three-hour operation yesterday, when surgeons inserted pins and plates to repair it. The company director said: 'People were screaming, 'get off the plane now,' there was no organisation, everyone was scrambling and screaming, it was complete chaos. There was no guidance about what to do from the captain or the crew. 'I was petrified, my daughter went first and was standing on the tarmac telling me to jump and she would catch me. I hit the floor and my foot blew up, I thought I had snapped it. I couldn't walk and my daughter had to drag me away. 'I was put on an airport ambulance but it took about 40 minutes for the paramedics to arrive. Danielle was crying she was in so much pain, it was horrendous. 'The way Ryanair have dealt with it is terrible, saying that people only suffered minor injuries and the evacuation was under control. Absolute rubbish, they are just trying to play it down because no one knew what they were doing.' Another passenger, who didn't want to be named, told the Mail she suffered a double fracture to her pelvis and broke a bone in her lower back when she jumped from the wing. 'A member of the cabin crew was screaming on the Tannoy for everyone to get off the plane, they were saying, 'leave your bags, the plane could explode', which obviously just made everyone panic,' she said. 'People were clambering over each other to the exits, it was chaotic. 'I'm usually a rational thinking person. No one wants to throw themselves off the wing of a plane unless the alternative is worse – everyone was led to believe it was an emergency and they had to get out immediately. 'When we got onto a bus back to the terminal people were asking a member of the cabin crew how it happened and saying it was awful. But he simply said, 'we did our best, we are only human.' But there was no direction from the crew and they just weren't very competent. There was no clear guidance, it was every man for himself.' She said doctors had told her it could be three months before she is walking again and plans to take legal action against the airline. In total 18 people were injured, with six people hospitalised as a consequence of the way the evacuation was handled. At least one female member of the cabin crew is thought to be among the injured. A Ryanair spokesman said: 'This flight from Palma to Manchester discontinued take-off due to a false fire warning light indication. 'Passengers were disembarked using the inflatable slides and returned to the terminal. 'While disembarking, a small number of passengers encountered very minor injuries (ankle sprains, etc) and crew requested immediate medical assistance. 'To minimise disruption to passengers, we quickly arranged a replacement aircraft to operate this flight, which departed Palma at 07:05 Saturday morning.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Flight attendant reveals why they always ask passengers to open their window for take off and landing
Ever been asked to open the window blind on a flight? While it might seem annoying to have bright light streaming into the plane while you're trying to sleep, a flight attendant has revealed there's a key reason why passengers need to have the blind open during takeoff and landing. Posting on the @backpacking Instagram account, flight attendant @kiravokrugmira reveals that it's all to do with safety. The cabin crew member says: 'Why do cabin crew ask to open window blinds for takeoff and landing? 'For safety reasons. It allows us to evaluate outside conditions as fast as possible in case of emergency situations.' Cabin crew need to be able to see outside during the takeoff and landing, so passenger might want to bring an eye mask if they want to remain asleep for the entire flight. In another post, the flight attendant adds: 'We also ask you to fasten your seat belts, put the armrests down, put your seats to upright position and close your tray tables. Because we care about you.' Flight attendants will always check that passengers are wearing their seat belt before the plane takes off. But the rules don't apply to cabin crew. The flight attendant explains: 'Why can cabin crew walk in the cabin when the seat belt sign is on, but I can't? 'Because we are trained and experienced in navigating the cabin during turbulence. We are also responsible for your safety and know what to do in case of emergency.' Meanwhile, a Virgin Atlantic flight attendant recently revealed the biggest reason why plane passengers get into arguments.
Times
05-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Why CEOs are seeking ‘reverse mentoring' from their juniors
A s chief executive of one of the world's largest airlines, Sean Doyle at British Airways can turn to his 34,000 staff for advice, or bring in an outside expert with deep knowledge of even the most niche issues. But there's one problem: 'As CEO, everybody will laugh at your jokes.' He wanted a new way to find the 'very uncomfortable insight into the issues you need to fix in your organisation — and the broader issues that are blocking people from being their best'. So Doyle, who first joined BA as a financial analyst in 1998, launched a reverse mentorship scheme at the airline in 2023. This fast-growing workplace trend involves a senior leader being mentored by someone several rungs further down the corporate ladder. They might be younger, or of a different gender or ethnicity, or have a disability. BA initially paired 11 top executives with junior staff. The scheme has since expanded to 80 senior leaders. Doyle was mentored by two cabin crew members.
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Passenger screams she has 'pain' in her 't**s' as she tries forcibly upgrade her seat before being tied up mid-air
A furious passenger screamed at cabin crew members to upgrade her to business class because she had 'pain in my t**s'. The passenger was on a flight from St Petersburg, Russia, to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and insisted that she needed greater comfort than her economy seat. During her rant, the woman grabbed her breasts and shouted at Aeroflot staff: 'I'm in pain in my butt, I'm in pain in my t**s.' 'I want business class,' she shouted at the Russian crew aboard the six-hour flight. 'But I need a business class because I was working,' she pleaded in the video. Her fury only heightens after they refuse her request and the crew ordered a male passenger to help subdue her. She sinks down and shouts: 'No, no, get out!' while a female voice is heard saying: 'You asked for it.' The 'unruly woman' fought on as she was bundled into an economy class seat and tied up by the male passengers, it was reported by Aviatorshina channel. 'Eyewitnesses said she screamed, not understanding why she wasn't being let into business class.' The report stated: 'The stewardesses first tried to manage on their own, but the brawler wouldn't give in. 'After she was restrained, the violator was moved to the back of the plane and handed over to the police upon arrival.' The incident was on flight SU734 today on an Airbus A330-300. The woman's identity and nationality was not reported. Aeroflot has not commented on the incident.
Khaleej Times
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
UAE athlete loses dream job, shot at championship title as flight disruptions continue
A UAE-based sportsman has shared how he lost a job interview and an opportunity to participate in a prestigious competition due to the airspace closures and flight cancellations in the region. The Eastern European Jiu Jitsu athlete is still awaiting a chance to fly home. Elbek R. was supposed to fly to Azerbaijan earlier this month to attend a job interview and realise his goal of becoming a cabin crew. 'The interviews were happening in Baku, and I had booked my tickets in advance,' he told Khaleej Times. 'However, once the Iran-Israel war began, all the flights to Eastern Europe were cancelled. I hoped and prayed, but it wasn't meant to be. The airline completely refunded my ticket but I still lost the opportunity.' Even though he was dejected at not being able to get a shot at clinching the job, Elbek said he believed it was for the best. 'It was a war and people were losing lives,' he said. 'It didn't feel right to be upset about not being able to attend a job interview. I have been wanting to be a cabin crew because it would give me the opportunity to travel the world and practice Jiu Jitsu in different countries. If God has willed for me to be a cabin crew, I will get a chance some other time.' Starting Friday, June 13, UAE began cancelling flights to several destinations after war between Iran and Israel escalated. Most of the cancellations include flights heading to or arriving from countries like Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel. Disappointed again On Thursday, Elbek was planning to travel to Istanbul to attend a sport competition and booked a flight through Tashkent. However, once again, his plans were thwarted because of continuing flight cancellations despite a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. 'I was planning to reach Tashkent on Thursday and then travel onwards to Istanbul to participate in the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour,' he said. 'I reached the airport only to find that the flight was cancelled. I had completed all my preparation for the competition and was feeling very good about myself but what to do. Fate had other plans for me.' Competing in the 77kg category in the Abu Dhabi AJP East Coast tour last month, the athlete pulled off three wins before narrowly losing out on the gold in the finals. On Monday, Iran launched an attack on the American Al Udeid military base in Qatar, forcing several Gulf countries to briefly close their airspaces and causing widespread flight cancellations. In an open letter to its passengers, Qatar Airways group chief executive Engineer Badr Mohammed Al-Meer explained how the airline handled the disruption with over 90 of its planes in the air at the time. Several UAE residents and tourists are looking for alternate ways to reach their destinations as flights continue to face disruptions. ER said that he would wait for a while before booking a flight home. 'I am going to continue training here and concentrating on my sport,' he said. 'I know that with all that has happened, it is going to take a few weeks for the flight schedules to be fixed. So I will plan a trip back home once everything is settled.'
