> I am strangely reminded of the airline flight that sat parked on the airport (at Chicago?) ramp, full of passengers, for over 24 hours years ago.
What was that? Why on earth would an airline do that? Surely the cost in the tied-up-aircraft alone would be astronomical? How did they get food and water to the flight but were unable to unboard people?
But I swear the incident I remember was much longer than that, about 24 hours. I think it was Chicago and I think it was United. The plane landed during a snowstorm, but all the airline's gates were in use, so the pilot parked on the ramp and waited. The passengers could see the terminal, with open gates, but the pilot/airline wouldn't use them and wouldn't let passengers off where the plane was due to the storm. Eventually a passenger managed to contact the airline president, who somehow resolved the situation.
They didn't have food or water, and the restrooms' holding tanks were overflowing.
"Passengers were not allowed to leave the airplane because the Goose Bay Airport did not have a customs officer on duty during the overnight hours. Saturday bled into Sunday, and still the flight remained grounded."
Somewhat, especially since 2009 (https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna34510274) when the regulations changed to force airlines to return to a gate after waiting for takeoff for three hours.
What was that? Why on earth would an airline do that? Surely the cost in the tied-up-aircraft alone would be astronomical? How did they get food and water to the flight but were unable to unboard people?