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Date Published: 16/06/2023

Murcia-Gatwick easyJet flight grounded due to airport closure

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Airport policy is to shut at 11.30pm at the latest and any flights which have not taken off by then must be grounded

Murcia-Gatwick easyJet flight grounded due to airport closure

The easyJet flight U28050 scheduled to take off from Murcia’s Corvera Airport headed for London Gatwick at 9.40pm on Wednesday June 14 was delayed for unknown reasons, to the extent that it missed the airport’s take-off deadline of 11.30pm and couldn’t depart at all.

The incident happened just one day after inclement weather conditions meant that two flights due to land in Murcia had to be diverted to Almeria and Malaga, with passengers having to be flown and driven by coach back to Murcia very late in the evening.

Read also: Timetable for free public buses between Murcia, Cartagena and Corvera Airport this summer

When Wednesday evening’s easyJet flight was delayed, it was initially until 10.30pm – the official closing time of Corvera airport. Under airport policy, this can be extended by up to one hour “in the event of a significant incident,” according to airport operations company AENA.

After 11.30pm, the airport is shut for the day. Any late incoming flights must be diverted to other airports and any flights that have failed to depart on time are grounded.

This is exactly what happened to the easyJet Murcia-Gatwick flight this Wednesday, meaning that around 180 passengers, including young children, had to disembark from the aircraft and leave the terminal to look for a place to spend the night.

In cases such as these, it is normally the airline who is responsible for providing coverage to passengers, including transport and accommodation costs, plus possible compensation, since there is no evidence that the flight did not take off due to either the weather or the airport services, according to AENA.

This same easyJet flight is frequently delayed taking off, with Thursday June 15’s service departing almost 20 minutes late and Tuesday June 13’s service leaving after gone 11pm.

While it is not unusual for airports in Spain to shut when there are no flights, mostly at night, the Region of Murcia International Airport was billed as a 24-hour airport when it was opened in 2019.

There were also plans for many more permanent and seasonal flight destinations than there currently are at the airport, and passenger numbers are still below their 2019 levels despite the lifting of all Covid-19 travel restrictions.

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