Half of the 165 passengers on an Air Europa flight from Tenerife to Salamanca Wednesday refused to travel in the Boeing 737-800 aircraft

Half of the 165 passengers on an Air Europa flight from Tenerife to Salamanca Wednesday refused to travel in the Boeing 737-800 aircraft after the pilot informed them about a fault in the antifreeze valve before takeoff. The Air Europa plane was preparing for takeoff when the captain informed the passengers of the fault. He said the plane would change its route and fly to Madrid, where passengers would board another flight to Salamanca. Eighty-seven passengers demanded to be allowed off the aircraft while the remaining passengers continued to Madrid on the original Boeing 737-800. Meanwhile, the passengers who had gotten off the plane had to be transported by coach to the island's other airport in the north where they were found room on a larger Airbus 330, also bound for the capital. Officials of the low-cost airline said that there was "no danger at any moment" to the plane due to the fault and asked for help to halt the wave of fear that has gripped many travellers after a Spanair plane crashed at Madrid's Barajas airport, killing 154 passengers in August.

Posted in: Air Europa plane