Plane Turned Back in Prague for Strippers — Flights Ran a Day Late, Passengers Now Demanding Compensation

Airline Smartwings is currently reviewing complaints from passengers seeking financial compensation for hours-long flight delays that followed an August incident at Prague Airport. Back then, an aircraft that had already begun its takeoff roll was forced to turn back to pick up strip club employees who had been left behind in the airport's VIP lounge.

Flight-tracking data shows that after that initial flight to Split, the same aircraft went on to fly to four more European cities, with delays piling up further each time. By the time of its last leg, from Valencia, Spain, back to Prague, the delay had exceeded five hours, pushing arrival into the following day.

Passengers Demand €1,500

One of the affected travelers, Michal F., was flying Smartwings from Valencia to Prague with his family. "We were supposed to land in Prague at 12:50 a.m. The doors of the plane at Ruzyně Airport didn't open until 6:01 a.m.," he said. According to flight-tracking service FlightRadar, the aircraft actually touched down at Václav Havel Airport at 5:56 a.m.

Michal F. is seeking compensation for his entire family totaling €1,600. In his complaint, he points out that the delays began piling up right after the plane's return to Prague the previous day to retrieve the forgotten Hot Pepper club employees — a claim backed by FlightRadar data showing the delay growing progressively worse.

Airline Denies Any Connection

Smartwings has already rejected Michal F.'s claim. A company representative handling complaints said the delay was not the carrier's fault, claiming the plane carrying the passenger's family could only depart once a takeoff slot became available. "Since the primary cause of this flight's delay was air traffic control regulation on the preceding flight, you are not entitled to financial compensation," the company's response stated.

Smartwings spokesperson Vladimíra Dufková also denied any link between the aircraft's return to the gate and the subsequent delays. "As for the later flights operated by the same aircraft, the situation in question did not cause any additional delays within our network," she said. According to her, neither Michal F. nor other passengers on the same flight who also complained about the delay are entitled to compensation.

Case Referred to Spanish Aviation Authority

Unwilling to accept the rejection, Michal F. has taken his case to Spain's aviation authority, AESA, arguing that jurisdiction should follow the flight's departure point. Spanish authorities must now determine whether the passengers are entitled to financial compensation.

As a reminder, the Smartwings aircraft in Prague originally turned back to the gate to pick up women who were flying to Croatia to film a promotional video for a yachting event. Before departure, the women had used the VIP lounge at Prague Airport, but lounge staff failed to get them to the gate in time. Following the incident, Prague Airport director Radomír Lašák ordered an internal investigation.

"VIP lounge staff misjudged the time required for check-in procedures and related operational circumstances," said Jiří Hanych, spokesperson for Prague Airport. According to him, this negatively affected passenger boarding coordination and subsequent communication with the ground handling and airline companies, prompting the carrier to delay departure.

Smartwings is the largest Czech airline, having operated in the market for 28 years (previously under the name Travel Service). The carrier's fleet consists of 49 aircraft, and it operates scheduled flights to 80 destinations, as well as charter and private flights.

Source: seznamzpravy.cz