Technical glitch causes Turkish Airlines flight delay at Beirut airport

Rafik Hariri International Airport (RHIA) experienced some confusion after the Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul was canceled due to technical reasons, which caused frustration among passengers and left them waiting on Sunday, An-Nahar newspaper reported. 

In a clarification about the incident, the airport director, Amin Jaber, explained that “before the departure time of the Turkish Airlines flight, a malfunction was detected on the plane because a spare part was needed, which prevented the aircraft from continuing the journey.” He noted that “this is a normal occurrence and sometimes happens.”

He added to An-Nahar newspaper, “The passengers' luggage was returned, and the flight was rescheduled and postponed to the evening, pending the arrival of the spare part from the company’s center in Istanbul. There was no chaos as reported, and passengers were accommodated according to their individual situations, as usual.”

Meanwhile, a passenger named Mira Abdullah recounted her experience, telling An-Nahar: “We waited on the plane for over an hour until we were informed of a technical malfunction, then we left the aircraft.”

She added, “We asked many questions about the plane and the rescheduling of the flight, but we did not receive sufficient answers explaining what happened.”