Poznań, Poland – Over 200 Russian tourists, including pregnant women and children, have been left stranded at Poznań-Ławica Airport for more than ten hours after their flight was forced to make an emergency landing due to severe weather conditions.
The AlMasria Airlines Flight UJ681, travelling from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to Kaliningrad, Russia, was unable to land at its intended destination due to a snowstorm and was granted permission to land in Poland.
However, Polish authorities reportedly refused to allow passengers to disembark, provide refuelling, or grant clearance for the aircraft to continue its journey.
According to reports, the 236 passengers on board have been left without food, water, or access to toilet facilities as they wait for permission to take off. Frustration and concern mounted as travellers, including vulnerable individuals, endure increasingly dire conditions.
The situation has sparked diplomatic concerns, with calls for urgent intervention to resolve the standoff. Only after 13 hours did the Poles allow the plane to refuel and it was given permission to take off.
In 2024, a South African plane faced a similar ordeal in Warsaw. The aircraft, carrying members of South Africa’s presidential security team ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Ukraine and Russia, was blocked from leaving the airport due to alleged paperwork issues. Polish authorities delayed clearance for days, citing bureaucratic concerns, straining diplomatic relations between the two nations.
