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Stanley Johnson has responded to criticism that he wanted to leave a British Airways flight that was diverted to Heathrow.
On Friday, the writer, Boris Johnson’s father, was on board BA2641 from Malaga to London Gatwick.
When a separate British Airways flight was unable to take off from Gatwick, the runway was closed for 50 minutes and 16 flights were diverted, including Mr Johnson’s flight, which landed at Heathrow.
The plan was to refuel the Airbus A321 and make the short flight to Gatwick. But some passengers were keen to get off, including Mr Johnson.
In the events that followed, the police were called to assist in resolving the issue and the next flight was later cancelled, with the remaining passengers being bussed to Gatwick.
The plane later flew from Heathrow to Gatwick, arriving about five hours late. The next scheduled flight was cancelled.
Write in The independentMr. Johnson has told his side of the story.
He writes: “As we crossed the French coast, the pilot came on the radio to announce that unfortunately there was a plane stuck on the runway below us and that we should keep circling while they sorted things out.
“Ten minutes later he made another announcement: ‘The plane on the runway below us is still stationary,’ he told us. ‘We’re going to have to divert to Heathrow.’
“When we landed at Heathrow, the captain told us that after we had taken on some fuel we would make the ‘short flight’ back to Gatwick.”
According to Mr Johnson, the captain invited passengers without checked baggage to disembark at Heathrow if they wished.
“That seemed like a really good idea to me,” Johnson writes.
“I grabbed my bags from the rack and walked to the front entrance of the plane. Two other passengers joined me and we all three stepped out of the door to the top of the metal staircase that was already in place.
“All we had to do, I imagined, was wait for the three of us until the ground transportation arrived to take us to the terminal building. That was the mistake.
“For reasons that I still cannot understand, the airport authorities decided that even though the three of us, in response to the captain’s invitation, were ready and willing to disembark, this should not happen.
“Apparently, since Gatwick was the planned destination, everyone would have to disembark at Gatwick – and that included the three of us, even though we were no longer physically on the plane but standing on the tarmac outside the cockpit.”
The implication is that the offer to let passengers leave has been withdrawn. This may have been due to logistics or pressure on passport control at Heathrow.
Stanley Johnson continues: “I’m not a troublemaker by nature. A number of police cars gathered at the bottom of the stairs for some reason.
“There were a lot of police officers talking on their walkie-talkies. I guess I ended up being dissatisfied and led back to the hut. But it wasn’t that simple.
“One of my two companions was a woman who, to be honest, was almost hysterical. ‘There is no way I can get back on a plane,’ she shouted. ‘I just lost my husband in a plane crash. I could only convince myself to get on a plane in Malaga this morning. I just can’t imagine getting back on it now, for a new take-off and a new landing. No, I’m not going to do it. There is no way I’m going to do it.’”
Other passengers have told The independent about a passenger with a fear of flying. A passenger, Annemarie, said that Mr. Johnson and the fearful pilot “got very angry, that’s when the police were called.”
“Ultimately, the authorities chose the nuclear option,” Johnson continues.
“Instead of letting the three of us, with our handbags, get into one of the police cars and go to the arrivals hall, they decided to redefine the flight – not as a flight from Malaga to Gatwick, but as a flight from Malaga to Heathrow.
“We could be released because we were now deemed to have ‘reached our planned destination’. This effectively meant that they were cancelling the flight.
“I am sorry, I am truly sorry, for the inconvenience caused to other passengers, some of whom no doubt had cars or loved ones waiting for them at Gatwick, and who were instead forced to disembark at Heathrow.”
He concludes: “I’m glad I stuck to my guns. And at least one passenger – that poor woman whose husband had just died in a plane crash – thanked me for it.”
Neither the passenger involved nor the circumstances of the tragedy have been identified. The last fatal accident involving British Airways was in Manchester in 1985.
Other passengers have criticised Mr Johnson. Richard Davenport said The independent: “When Stanley Johnson decided he wanted to get off – along with another passenger – we subsequently missed the time slot.
“It took a few hours to sort it out and eventually BA cancelled the flight. All passengers were then told to disembark, go through immigration and then take a bus to Gatwick.
“With a car parked at Gatwick we didn’t have the option to just leave from Heathrow. It left 99.5 per cent of passengers with a bitter taste.”
A British Airways spokesman said on Friday: “Due to earlier disruptions at Gatwick the flight was diverted to Heathrow where it terminated.”
The independent BA has asked for clarification about the incident.
Heathrow Airport declined to comment.