Passenger felt 'kidnapped' after airline’s diversion to Canada in a 12-hour ordeal

A passenger aboard an American Airlines flight described her experience as akin to being “kidnapped” by the airline, when her flight was rerouted to Canada, leaving everyone stranded for 12 hours.

Following an initial delay of three hours, travellers on a flight from Philadelphia to London’s Heathrow airport, had optimistically anticipated an end to their troubles.

However, their hopes were crushed when a fellow passenger experienced a medical emergency in the early hours of Friday. As a result, the flight’s captain made the decision to divert to Gander International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada.

TikTok user Diane Kane shared her experience of the incident, asserting that passengers were left without food and water for several hours in an airport with limited seating, which she likened to “a high school auditorium.”

She’s questioning the legitimacy of the passenger’s “medical emergency,” boldly stating that this individual miraculously sprang to their feet, flashed a winning smile, and casually strolled off the plane.

There’s more tea to spill! Kane also said that American Airlines didn’t even have the decency to give passengers a heads-up about the impromptu diversion. Talk about keeping people in the dark!

@dikane2 #americanairlines #stranded ♬ original sound – Diane Kane

“If you’re in the air and a pilot makes a [U-turn], and goes to a totally different country, without telling you, and you wake up in another country … I think that’s kidnapping if they don’t tell you they’re gonna do that,” Kane added.

Viewers shared their ‘conspiracy’ around the incident while other’s thought it was not that big a deal: @ Larry Glover-Meade wrote: “Have you seen Come From Away? It’s based (on) what happened after 9/11 at that airport!!”

@Erin OBrien Smith wrote: “oh you’re in a real life Come From Away!”

“Come From Away” tells the inspiring story of what transpired when 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon.

The townspeople rallied to take care of the nearly 7,000 stranded passengers, offering them shelter, food, and compassion during a challenging and uncertain time.

@karen commented: “It’s just part of flying. Sometimes it’s an adventure. But eventually you’ll get to your destination.”

Being left without food and water for a whole 12 hours? I highly doubt anyone would willingly sign up for that ordeal, especially without warning.