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According to reports, travelers arriving at the Nashville International Airport were stranded on the runway for over seven hours due to a shortage of fuel for de-icing trucks.
According to reports from local media, there were delays on certain American Airlines flights arriving at BNA airport, leading to passengers being stranded on the tarmac for longer than anticipated and causing them distress.
According to NewsChannel5 Nashville, a passenger named Maddox Gates reported that they arrived at 2:30 and were stuck on the tarmac until approximately 8:30.
Ms. Gates flew in from New York.
“The responsibility did not fall solely on the staff. Both the flight crew and staff made every effort possible.”
According to reports, the valve on the de-icing truck froze, preventing it from being refilled.
De-icing is an essential procedure for airlines, particularly American Airlines, especially in wintertime or in chilly weather. Its purpose is to eliminate ice, snow, or frost from the surfaces of the aircraft, such as the wings, tail, and fuselage, to guarantee a safe departure and flight.
To avoid problems caused by ice, such as decreased lift on the wings, which can affect the performance of the aircraft.
The airline faced more delays because there were other flights in front of them, causing a standstill.
Hallie Barnwell, a passenger, mentioned that the airline’s backup plan included utilizing air stairs for passengers to exit the plane. However, there was uncertainty surrounding the arrival time of the stairs.
The situation became more chaotic when the tow bar snapped while attempting to tow the initial aircraft after passengers had disembarked.
Ms Barnwell described the situation as a “comedy of airs” and noted that everyone was using humor to relieve the tension. She also mentioned that everyone remained patient.
At 4pm on Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a ground stop for all flights at BNA due to inclement weather.
WKRN reports that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted the restriction on flights at Nashville International Airport as of 5:15pm on Monday.
American Airlines provided a statement to The Independent and acknowledged “difficult circumstances,” but did not directly mention the problem of de-icing trucks running low on fuel.
“The severe winter weather at Nashville International Airport (BNA) today had a major impact on airport operations, leading to a two-hour ground stop for all airlines. These difficult conditions created unsafe circumstances, resulting in flight cancellations and delays, as well as congestion at the ramps and gates, making it challenging to safely park our aircraft.”
The statement continued: “We apologize deeply to our customers who were impacted. Our team is making efforts to contact them, express our regret, and offer compensation for their inconvenience.”
Source: independent.co.uk
