Saturday noon, many families of Moroccans living abroad headed to the Brussels airport hoping to reach Morocco on time to join their families for the Eid festivities.
Unfortunately, a very bad surprise momentarily ended the enthusiasm of the 330 passengers as two Royal Air Maroc’s flights did not take off.
According to RTL Belgium, the first flight did not take off “for a technical failure” while the second flight was postponed because of a lack of shipboard personnel.
RTL Belgium made a report about the incident (video underneath) saying that both flights were postponed several times, which angered the travelers.
One of the travelers was caught saying to RTL the following:
“At 6 PM, we were told we will take off in one hour. Then at 7 pm, we were told that we won’t take off.”
According to RTL, the passengers were very angry to the point that local police had to intervene to calm the situation.
The RTL anchor presented the canceling of the two flights, the lack of information provided to travelers and the general disorganization of the Moroccan company as something “usual,” after she employed the French word “à nouveau,” which translates in English to “yet again”.
Passengers living away from Brussels were housed in a nearby hotel, while the ones living in Brussels received a ticket-taxi to go back home. Yet, most of the passengers, however, declined the offer, preferring to spend the night at the airport, RTL reported.
A mother who just gave birth said:
“I don’t even have enough baby pads as we registered our luggage long time ago. I don’t have any medicine nor milk for my baby as well. I spent a sleepless night so that my baby could sleep.”
Another passenger said: “Some of us bought sandwiches to break the fast. Others, on the other hand could not buy anything to eat from the airport as all shops of the Brussels airport close at 8:00 PM”
Fortunately, Sunday morning, RTL reported that an arrangement with another company finally allowed the first flight’s passengers to travel to Tangier. The other flight’s passengers, who were heading to Nador, had to wait even longer, until around midday, after an airplane came specifically from Morocco to take them to Nador.
“We keep hearing it is always like this with Royal Air Maroc. I’ve never taken this company before, but this is the first and last time, “says an angry Moroccan living abroad.
The Moroccan Times.
