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Airline turns away passengers at Stewart after flight deemed unsafe

<p>Norwegian Airlines is facing scrutiny after dozens of international passengers in Orange County were turned away from their flight.</p>

News 12 Staff

Aug 30, 2017, 9:12 PM

Updated 2,669 days ago

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Airline turns away passengers at Stewart after flight deemed unsafe
Norwegian Airlines is facing scrutiny after dozens of international passengers in Orange County were turned away from their flight.
Dozens of travelers tried to take advantage of Norwegian Airlines' new discounted international flights at Stewart but were turned away before takeoff.
The airline said 47 people were denied access after an evacuation slide was deployed by mistake, making a full flight unsafe.
Norwegian's cheap flights to Europe have been a huge hit since the airline started flying out of Stewart in June, but accounts of mishaps have some wondering if the airline was ready for the overnight success.
The airline responded by saying in part, “We have unfortunately encountered a number of external issues that have caused our flights to be delayed multiple times. We are fully aware of the inconvenience this has caused our customers, for which we truly are sorry. We are working on ensuring an improved operation at the airport."
Norwegian also foot the bill for new flights, but residents like Patricia Reynolds say the damage is already done.
"Memories are more important than money. It's easy to grab another flight and oh, you lost a day - but when it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip you've planned for months ... it's unfair,” she says.
A representative for Norwegian Airlines says passengers were also compensated for meals and transportation to the airport.