Hydraulic Pump On Boeing 787 Failed Prior To Return Flight

The 250 passengers on a Lot Polish Airlines flight were asked to pay for repairs to a hydraulic pump on the airline's Dreamliner that was taking them from Beijing to Poland when the mechanic reportedly demanded payment in cash.

The U.K. newspaper The Daily Mail reports that the pump developed a leak after the plane landed at Beijing Capital International Airport on November 11. The plane was scheduled to return to Warsaw Chopin Airport the following day, but needed to be repaired before it could take off. The passengers were asked to pay for the replacement pump, according to the report.

An airline spokesman said that "an employee at the Boeing warehouse in Beijing refused to accept a bank transfer and insisted on cash."

The spokesman, Adrian Kubicki, said that the flight crew managed to collect about $360 from the passengers, but added "there are no circumstances that justify asking money from passengers." Collecting the money delayed the flight by about 10 hours, according to the report

Kubicki apologized to the passengers when the plane landed in Warsaw, and the money was immediately refunded to the passengers from whom it was collected. The passengers area also eligible to claim about $450 in compensation from the airline for the lengthy delay.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report