EasyJet ‘fiasco’ in Iceland as snowstorm delays flight to London Gatwick for 24 hours

An easyJet passenger who was among a planeload of people delayed for a full day by an Icelandic snowstorm has described the experience as a “fiasco”. Robert Stephens, 79, was one of the passengers booked on easyJet flight 8846 from Keflavik International Airport, near Reykjavik, to London Gatwick. It was due to depart at 7.30pm on Friday evening, 2 February. The incoming plane flew a holding pattern over the Reykjanes peninsula – location of Iceland’s latest major volcanic action – before landing safely around 40 minutes behind schedule. But foul weather and delays with de-icing led to the homebound flight eventually being delayed overnight. Stephens was returning from Iceland with his wife after a Northern Lights trip. He said: “Due to serious wind and snow conditions the incoming flight was prevented from offloading the passengers for a couple of hours.” The UK-bound passengers were ready to go, but could not board the plane until the arriving travellers had disembarked. “The outgoing passengers were shunted from gate to gate with a minimum of information,” Stephens said. “Eventually we were put on buses to the aircraft. We boarded in appalling conditions of wind and snow at around midnight. The plane was still unable to depart due initially to the weather forecast. When the storm had passed the plane had received a coating of snow and the pilot had to call for de-icing. Unfortunately the weather conditions exceeded those in which the de-icing crew could operate so further delay ensued.”<br/>