Jetstar passengers stranded in Thailand

More of those alarming "maintenance problems" from QANTAS. Cutting corners on maintenance will be fatal one day

JETSTAR passengers booked on a Thailand-to-Sydney flight have been stuck on the resort island of Phuket since Monday because of maintenance problems. Flight JQ28 was due to leave Phuket at 9pm (local time) on Monday, but the flight was cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers to spend Australia Day stranded far from home, Natalie Soltyszewski said.

The passengers were put up in a hotel on Monday night and told they would leave at 5pm (local time) yesterday, but due to more maintenance problems that flight was also cancelled after they had boarded the aircraft. Jetstar again arranged accommodation for them last night.

The Qantas-owned no-frills carrier later confirmed the stranded travellers would be picked up by bus to catch a replacement flight to Sydney at 5.30pm today.

But tempers were frayed as the passengers waited for information. "They boot you off the plane and then you are stuck dealing with the Thai ground staff who don't know anything," Ms Soltyszewski said. "The information is just not forthcoming. We'll go to a hotel now, and we'll find out in the morning whether or not we've got another plane."

Ms Soltyszewski had been on holiday with friends in Thailand for a month. "I'm not so worried about myself," she said. "One lady has to get back for chemo. Some kids are starting school tomorrow. "It's a great Australia Day for us."

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