Travelers Land In San Francisco After 28 Hours Inside Etihad Airways Jet

The passengers said they were on the tarmac for 12 hours in Abu Dhabi after fog delayed the flight.

Hundreds of passengers of Etihad Airways Flight 183 landed in San Francisco after spending 28 hours inside the jet.

Tension building up 8hr+ inside @EtihadAirways EY183 stuck on Abu Dhabi Tarmac; took 4+ hrs more 2 resolve cc: @CBSSF

The flight was stranded at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the United Arab Emirates for 12 hours as dense fog blanketed the area. Passengers said they were left on the tarmac without food or information about their status.

EY183 on runway for 9 hours. Terrible service and crew won't serve food. Now further delays as they replace (unserved) food. @EtihadAirways

What's mind boggling is how many errors @EtihadAirways SFO flight had, including meals, communication and basic human necessities. #Shameful

"During the time on the ground, awaiting permission to take-off, passengers were provided with refreshments and were updated about the reasons for the rolling delay caused by the extreme weather conditions," an airline spokesperson said.

Don't fly @EtihadAirways . Stuck inside the plane on the runway for 10 hours now. No food, no info, nothing. World's leading airline?

Passengers are prisoners for @EtihadAirways - can't go out and they won't fly us cause immigration is done

The airline apologized to a number of passengers, who were told the airport was too congested to allow more people inside, the Associated Press reported.

@perbangthomsen Hi we understand your frustration completely we are very sorry *DP

According to an airline statement, 20 flights were canceled and more were delayed because of the fog. The airline said it booked more than 2,000 hotel rooms for disrupted travelers.

@EtihadAirways u always chase , disappointed with ur gestures, attitude, treatment of people

"We apologize for the serious inconvenience that these events, which have been beyond our control, have caused," the statement said.

In an updated statement, the airline said delays were also compounded because the plane's operating crew exceeded their flight time limitations.

Another Etihad flight out of Abu Dhabi arrived in Germany 30 hours late. The plane was delayed 13 hours in Abu Dhabi because of the fog, then diverted to Vienna when a 73-year-old man died on board, The National UAE reported.

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