KLM passengers
stranded in Aruba
ARUBA--More than 200 KLM passengers were stranded in Aruba after leaving St. Maarten to go the Netherlands on Friday, the airline company has confirmed.
The airplane, an MD-11, made a stop in Aruba where, during a control, an engine problem was discovered.
It wasn’t possible to fix the problem immediately. It was also impossible to book the passengers on another flight to the Netherlands because all flights were full, KLM spokesperson Bart Koster told Dutch World radio in an interview.
He stressed that the KLM would not fly when there was the slightest doubt about safety. Koster could not confirm whether engine problems occurred more often on flights to and from the Antilles.
The 210 passengers were brought to hotels in Aruba while KLM sent a Boeing 747 especially to transport the stranded passengers to the Netherlands. They left Aruba Monday evening and are expected to land at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam today, Tuesday, August 7.
Koster said it had not been easy to find hotel accommodation for all the passengers. Whether they would be compensated for damages for the three-day delay he couldn’t say. “The priority is to get them to the Netherlands as soon as possible. When they arrive they will receive a letter with the official reason for the delay and information regarding the authorities they can contact for any complaints.”
