Hundreds of United Airlines passengers pressured to spend days on distant island after emergency flight diversion
A packed United flight headed from Newark to Dublin spent days stranded in snowy Newfoundland after an emergency diversion.
United Flight 23 departed from Newark Liberty Airport on Thursday, with passengers including America’s top Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan when a passenger suffered a medical emergency.
The drama unfolded about three hours into the trip and the Boeing 777-200 was diverted to St. John’s International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada.
United Airlines said medical personnel met the aircraft on arrival at St John’s and transported one passenger to a local hospital.
While that passenger got medical treatment, the other 259 passengers and 12 crew members were stuck at the small airport in snowy rural Canada and unable to fly due to high winds.
Cardinal Dolan made the best of the situation and even held mass at a local church where he hailed the hospitality of the locals.
But other passengers were less relaxed and shared on social media that they were stranded at the airport and unable to access their luggage for days.
‘Update in which United informs us we can’t get access to our checked luggage because it’s too windy outside,’ one passenger said on X.
‘They couldn’t give it to us yesterday for different reasons related to staffing and planned departure. So it’s 48 hours without clothing in Newfoundland while 20F outside.’
A packed United Airlines flight, with the archbishop of New York on board, was stranded in Canada for days after an emergency diversion
The St. John’s International Airport warned passengers on Thursday they could experience delays due to snow forecasts in the area
The St. John’s International Airport warned passengers on Thursday they could experience delays due to the weather.
‘Snow is forecasted this evening into tomorrow morning. Please check with your airline before heading to the airport, and allow extra time to arrive safely,’ the airport said on Facebook.
Cardinal Dolan ended up going to work and taking mass Saturday as the delays persisted, reported CBS News.
‘We left Newark, New Jersey, Thursday on our way to Dublin…and we ended up here with you and we’re still. We are unable to get out due to inclement weather,’ Dolan said from the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
The 75-year-old Cardinal went on to thank his hosts in a heartfelt social media post.
‘Thank you to the gracious people of St. John the Baptist in St. John’s, Newfoundland, who took me in after my flight to Ireland was grounded,’ he said.
‘It was my joy to offer Mass in the cathedral that it’s said inspired Archbishop John Joseph Hughes to build @StPatsNYC.’
Sunday morning, United Airlines said the conditions improved and they were able to get passengers on their flight to Ireland.
Passengers shared on social media that they were stranded at the airport and unable to access their luggage for days
Sunday morning, United Airlines said the conditions improved and they were able to get passengers on their flight to Ireland
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, was on board the flight and presided over Mass at a local church when the flight had still not been rescheduled on Saturday
United Flight 23 departed from Newark Liberty Airport on Thursday and was bound for Dublin, Ireland, when it was forced to make an emergency landing
‘While high winds kept the aircraft grounded, we provided hotel accommodation and meal vouchers for our customers,’ United said.
‘With the weather improved, the flight departed Sunday morning from St John’s to Dublin and arrived at 4:18pm (local time).’
Thousands of flights were delayed or cancelled on Sunday as a deadly bomb cyclone was poised to hit the Northeast.
More than 2,000 flights within, into and out of the US had been delayed and more than 1,000 canceled as of 10am on Sunday, according to FlightAware.
Weather.com meteorologist Orelon Sidney said icy conditions could make travel ‘impossible’ in some locations.
Bone-chilling cold was forecast to hit the Northern Plains with low temperatures into the minus 30s F near the Canadian border.
