Sixty-eight passengers flew to Palau on Saturday after a two-day delay due to equipment failure, leaving hundreds of mainland Chinese visitors stranded at the airport.
A Mega Maldives Airlines flight was supposed to fly more than 240 passengers to Palau from Macau International Airport last Thursday.
The remaining passengers were forced to either accept compensation of USD700, or stay at a local hotel arranged by the airline.
According to a TDM report, some passengers were not aware of the updated departure time.
“They first said that the departure time was 2 p.m., and then changed it to 5 p.m. But then no more check-ins were allowed after 3 p.m. Does it really make sense?” complained a passenger.
“Was there a broadcast at all? […] We left our contact number at the counter and they said they would give us a call immediately when there was an update. But I have received no phone call so far,” said another.
The airline issued a statement on Saturday, stating that the delay had been significantly increased due to limited landing slots at the Palau airport, which is small and currently under construction.
Mega added that it found a replacement airline to operate the scheduled flight but that due to the Easter holiday, the new airline was unable to obtain regulatory approval to operate.
Some 170 passengers, who eventually passed up the flight, left Macau on Saturday and Sunday.
A spokesperson from the Macau International Airport told the Times that Palau-bound flights were still experiencing delays on Sunday and yesterday, due to the late arrival of aircraft from the destination.
According to a press release from the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), most of the affected passengers were from mainland China, while around a dozen were local residents.
MGTO described the case as a “supplier-consumer dispute,” as most of the affected passengers had purchased their flight tickets outside Macau. The incident, they said, should therefore be handled by the Consumer Council.
The delay of Mega Maldives Airlines’ chartered flight drew the Consumer Council’s attention for its effect on customers, according to a statement. The council has been in close contact with the Macao Government Tourism Office and Civil Aviation Authority. The council has promised to continually assist consumers through measures such as referring cases to the relevant consumer organizations for mainland clients. One inquiry has been received to date. Staff reporter
mega troubles
Mega Maldives Airlines has previously been involved in multiple incidents caused by delays and mechanical failures, according to a report by Macau Concealers.
Last year, one Mega aircraft was forced to remain grounded at the Macau airport after its landing gear suddenly malfunctioned. The flight remain grounded for two months until Boeing Shanghai sent staff to repair the landing gear.
Mega Maldives Airlines is a low-cost carrier from the Maldives. It currently rents four Boeing aircrafts, each over 20 years old, and now only provides charter flights from Macau to Palau.
In November 2013, Mega LV199 – a flight from Shanghai to the Maldives – forced 45 passengers, who were waiting to board, to take other flights. The airline explained at the time that due to bad weather conditions, the aircraft needed more fuel. In May 2012, another flight from the Maldives to Beijing failed to take off three times in a row, again compelling passengers to take other flights.
A staff worker from the Macau airport told Macau Concealers that the company has a very poor reputation in the industry, due to its problematic aircraft and substandard customer service.
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