19 passengers forced off EasyJet flight and offered cash reward because the ‘plane was too heavy’

An Easyjet flight to Liverpool saw 19 passengers forced off because the ‘plane was too heavy’. The flight, which was due to take off from Lanzarote’s Arrecife Airport to John Lennon Airport was delayed due to the weight and adverse weather conditions.

The flight was set to take off at 9:45pm from the popular destination in Spain on Wednesday (July 5), but didn’t leave until almost two hours later at 11:30pm. A video shot by a passenger showed one of the flight crew announcing their concerns regarding the take-off.

The pilot said: "Thank for for getting here today. Because there are so many of you, it’s a pretty heavy aircraft. That heavy aircraft combined with a pretty short runway and with the current unfavourable conditions here in Lanzarote, means the aircraft is too heavy to take off.

“I’ve been sat with my senior first officer and we’re very experienced with this and have done this before.

"With safety as our number one priority, there is no way, with the current wind conditions, that we could get this aircraft airborne. There are a number of factors - it’s very hot, the wind isn’t fantastic, the direction isn’t great.

"Now, you might be wondering what happens next and that’s what I’ve come in here to say. I have spoken with our operations team and the one way to solve a problem with a heavy aircraft is to make it slightly lighter.

"If possible, I would like to ask up to 20 volunteers to choose not to fly to Liverpool tonight. If anyone wants to volunteer there will be an incentive. The current number we’ve been quoted by easyJet is up to €500 per passenger who is willing to not fly tonight."