Melanie stuck on plane at Brussels airport for 5 hours due to snow: 'They hope to leave soon, but it's the sixth time we've heard about it' | Snow in Belgium

Melanie had to go to Barcelona for work and booked a flight with the Spanish low-cost airline Vueling Airlines. “The flight was at 2.40pm and everyone was on board by 2.15pm. Since then, the plane has been waiting at the gate until it can depart.”

The runway was closed for more than an hour due to heavy snowfall and the plane had to be cleared of snow and ice. “We always had to wait,” she continues. “We were constantly told that it wouldn't be long before we could leave. With any luck, half an hour.”

After several hours of fruitless waiting, Melanie asked if she could leave the plane. However, she was told again that it would not last long this time. “I'm done with it now,” she says when we call her at 7:30 p.m. “I asked if staying on board was mandatory, and it turned out not to be the case. They said we could leave the plane and I would do so. I am now waiting in the aisle with my luggage, with two other passengers. I think there will be more to come.”

Meanwhile, she was kicked off the plane, something she said caused some chaos. Even the woman became sick. However, it was quite quiet all afternoon. “People were frustrated and sighing,” she says. “Here and there someone actually stood up to ask for information, but everything seemed to be done respectfully. Maybe people should have rebelled a little more.”

The flight is still scheduled to depart for Spain. “Just before we landed, they said again that they were almost finished defrosting the plane. They were hoping they would be able to leave again soon, but they had no idea what time it was. This was the sixth time we had heard that. In Spanish and English Very broken.

Melanie is now back home and will schedule her appointments in Barcelona at another time. “There's no point,” she sighs. “Normally I'll be gone until Friday.”