Rex Airlines flight from Perth skips stopover in Monkey Mia leaving passenger stranded
Aussies stranded in the wrong city after a major airline blunder turned their journey into a nightmare
- Rex flight skipped a stopover in Monkey Mia
- Teen stranded in Carnarvon
A teenage boy was stranded in Western Australia after the plane he was on failed to land at its scheduled stopover and instead went straight to its next destination.
Indie Oakley, 17, was aboard Rex Airlines’ delayed flight from Perth to Carnarvon, via Monkey Mia, last Thursday when passengers were told mid-flight that the plane would not be making a stopover.
Indie and eight other passengers who planned to stay in Monkey Mia were given the choice of flying back to Perth or staying in Carnarvon – a whole 220 miles away.
The teenager had come from his boarding school in Perth and as it was closed for holidays, returning to the city was not an option.
Instead, his parents had to drive and pick him up and not return home until around midnight.
Indie Oakley, 17, (left with family) was on board the delayed Rex Airlines flight from Perth to Carnarvon, via Monkey Mia, last Thursday when passengers were told mid-flight that the plane would not make a stopover
Indie’s mother Donnelle Oakley said the Carnarvon airport closed after Indie arrived, so he had to wait at a nearby chicken shop.
“I was at work when I found out and it was like ‘are you kidding? “Indie was a bit annoyed,” Ms Oakley told Daily Mail Australia.
She said a group of affected Rex Airlines customers were given an explanation of what happened after filing a class complaint, but Ms Oakley said it was “pretty common”.
The email stated that poor weather conditions caused the flight to be delayed leaving Perth and that there was insufficient lighting at Monkey Mia Airport.
The captain made an announcement telling passengers that the plane would stop in Carnarvon and Indie could text his mother from the air.
Ms Oakley said passengers were offered a return flight to Perth and accommodation in Carnarvon, but Indie said he was not informed of the accommodation offer.
“The ticket is $898, there’s an expectation that if you book somewhere you’ll land there if you pay that much,” she said.
“We were lucky to be able to pick him up, not everyone is in a position to travel within five minutes.”
Rex Airlines said weather and lighting issues were to blame for the flight route change
Two other passengers whose planned stop was Monkey Mia got a ride with Indie’s family, while the other six arranged for a private shuttle to take them.
Ms Oakley said she heard from the other passengers that there was an 11-year-old girl traveling alone on the flight who was in tears.
Mrs. Oakley said she thought her father could pick her up.
Their response wasn’t much of an apology. Rex said efforts have been made to arrange a rescue flight to Monkey Mia, but if they could organize a flight we wouldn’t have driven three and a half hours,” she said.
A spokesman for Rex Airlines said that ABC that they could not comment on regulated routes “regarding individual incidents.”
“Such matters are regularly discussed in the community consultation group held by the Department of Transport and we believe this is the right forum to ask these questions,” they said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Rex Airlines for further comment.