A delayed Shetland-bound plane turned back mid-air after leaving Aberdeen, after Sumburgh Airport said it would not be open when it landed.
The Loganair flight on Thursday evening was delayed by around three and a half hours when it took off from Aberdeen around 9.30pm.
The delay was due to issues in Manchester, where the plane flew from.
Passengers were only told there was a problem as they settled into their flight.
After returning to Aberdeen, hotel accommodation was provided for those on board.
Flight took off from Aberdeen
Sumburgh Airport is open until 8pm but extensions can be requested if flights are delayed.
When asked why the plane took off from Aberdeen in the first place, a spokeswoman for Loganair said it had been hopeful of negotiating an extension to allow the plane to land, but said: “Regrettably it was not possible”.
The issue with the flight meant Thursday’s last scheduled trip out of Sumburgh Airport to Aberdeen was called off because it was waiting on the northbound plane.
On the flight was NHS worker Stephen Lamming, who was then rebooked onto the 6.30am flight from Aberdeen this morning – some 36.5 hours after his original planned flight on Wednesday.
Had to turn back
Mr Lamming said while he was happy to have others go on an earlier flight on Thursday, it meant he lost a day’s work at NHS Shetland. He was unable to be on call for the estates team at the Gilbert Bain Hospital, in Lerwick, on Thursday evening.
A spokesman for Loganair said: “Loganair exhausted all options in trying to get customers home and attempted to operate the service to Sumburgh but regrettably, due to airport opening hours, was unable to land at the airport and had to turn back to Aberdeen.
“Accommodation was provided in Aberdeen and passengers will be put on an alternative flight today.
He added: “From Monday 1 August, actions previously taken to de-link the evening Aberdeen-Sumburgh flight from the Manchester services come into effect.
“The afternoon and evening Aberdeen-Sumburgh flights will be operated by the same aircraft and its on-time performance will not be impacted by events in Manchester.”
A spokesman for Sumburgh Airport operator Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial) said it extended landing until 10pm, but could not accommodate the flight after that time.
He said: “We will always try to accommodate requests to extend landing times when it is possible to do so but this is not always achievable. It is regrettable that passengers were inconvenienced due to issues elsewhere in the aviation network.”
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