Chaos at low-cost airline: Exhausted Munich resident gives up after 24-hour delay

Jul 11 2023 Travel trends

Marabu Airlines is once again causing a stir: Passengers in Munich had to wait at the gate for almost 24 hours for their flight to Calabria. Munich - A passenger of the chaos airline Marabu had been looking forward to three days in Calabria, the country with its beautiful beaches and allegedly also the Italian Mafia - a true adventure. That's why he booked his flight with Condor. Only later did he realize that Marabu Airlines, the company's younger sister, would be carrying him. This unpleasant surprise was to prove quite adventurous.

Instead of relaxing on the beach, passengers experienced a delay at Munich Airport. The originally scheduled departure time of 17:35 was pushed back further and further every hour. Until 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., the passenger still kept a good mood. "I like the airport and the time can be bridged somehow. You almost feel like you're on vacation," he explained.

Waiting at Munich Airport: Marabu Airlines leaves travelers in the lurch

But from the postponement to 8:30 p.m., the mood at the gate gradually deteriorated. Until then, no one from Marabu Airlines was on site who could have given more detailed information. Finally, an employee showed up and handed out an 8-euro voucher to the waiting passengers. With this amount, one could buy a turkey sandwich at Munich Airport, the annoyed passenger commented. The employee's affiliation with a particular company was not apparent.

After 9:00 p.m., the passenger finally decided "tired and frustrated" to make his way home. There were no more buses going back. The cab costs amounted to 45 euros. He requested a refund of the 129.98 euro airfare from Marabu Airlines via a form. What would happen to the 400 euros for his hotel booking remained unclear for the time being. The Marabu Airlines flight from Munich to Lamezia Terme was eventually rescheduled for the afternoon of the following day (July 4) and landed in Calabria at 5:26 pm.

Renewed trouble at Marabu Airlines: Condor sister cancels flight without warning

According to Marabu Airlines, the partner airline Nordica experienced a "sudden staff shortage". After it was foreseeable that no replacement crew could be provided in time, they immediately instructed the airline Chair to operate the flight. "After the aircraft was brought from Zurich to Munich, the flight took off on Tuesday afternoon," Marabu Airlines said.

The company said it had kept passengers "informed of the flight status via SMS and on the ground and accommodated them overnight in hotels." However, it remained unanswered whether there were airline personnel on site that passengers could have contacted, or whether the information was only provided via the display boards. "Marabu sincerely apologizes to passengers for the inconvenience caused," they added.

Marabu Airlines - flight chaos due to staff shortage?

The explanation of the flight cancellation due to staff shortage seems plausible. The aircraft that had last operated the flight from Munich to Lamezia Terme, according to Flightradar24.de, landed in Munich shortly before midnight. After just under six hours, it was back in action and flew to Kos with a one-hour delay. Obviously, then, there was an aircraft available, but possibly the staff needed a well-deserved break.

According to information from Flightradar24.de, a total of five of the seven Marabu aircraft were actually at Munich Airport on the evening of July 3. Hopefully, the staff shortage will not be passed on to the remaining pilots. The airline is currently looking online for A320 pilots, first officers and flight attendants. This incident is not the first time Marabu Airlines has made negative headlines. Delays and cancellations have not been uncommon during its existence of only six months.