Illustrative: A United Airlines commercial jet taxis away from Terminal C before lift-off at Newark Liberty International Airport, July 18, 2018, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A flight from New York to Tel Aviv on Saturday was said to be delayed after the doors to the plane were closed “one half-second late.”
According a ground services report published by Globes, customer services representatives at Newark Airport declared that Flight UA90 would not takeoff on time because “crew refused to extend for half a second. Door closed late.”
The flight was originally due to takeoff at 10:50 p.m.
Tweets from disgruntled passengers show that they only boarded the plane at 1 a.m. and that the crew then reportedly refused to fly. The passengers were deplaned at 3:30 a.m.
A passenger on United flight from Newark to Tel Aviv on August 18, 2018, says this was the reason given for flight delay (via Globes)
“The passengers had to wait in the airport. We were not taken to a hotel; in effect, they are forcing us to stay at the airport,” one passenger told Globes. “According to the information given to us, an alternative flight to New York is scheduled to take off at 8:30 AM New York time.”
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Pilots and air crew operate under strict rules governing the number of hours they can work in any 24 hour period.
@united delayed our flight out of Newark to Tel Aviv from 10:50 til 1:45am. After boarding flight atts refused to fly. At 3:30am we are kicked off aircraft. #unitedsuckspic.twitter.com/8KE55O5nJB
United confirmed to Globes that the flight was delayed.
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