A PLANE packed with terrified passengers was left circling over an airport for an hour after the air traffic controller overslept and did not turn up for work.
The Aerolineas Argentinas Embraer E190 jet was supposed to be making a 40-minute hop from ‘s capital Buenos Aires to Santa Fe on Thursday.
But when it was approaching the city's Sauce Viejo airport, the pilot could not reach the control tower on the radio and was forced to stay looping in the sky.
Flight path maps from the air tracking site FlightRadar24 shows how the jet went into a 50-mile diversion off its route while airport staff frantically tried to wake the controller.
Air traffic controllers at nearby in Paraná and Ezeiza stepped in to coordinate the flight, directing the pilot to hold while they tried to “normalise”;; the glitch.
Another hundred passengers were left waiting on the tarmac at Sauce Viejo for the plane's return leg to Buenos Aires, Infobae reports.
Flight ARG1724 eventually landed at Santa Fe at 8.57 am – nearly an hour behind schedule – after burning through its delay time in the air.
The captain had the option to turn back to Aeroparque or land at Paraná but decided to remain airborne because he had enough fuel.
Safety officials from ‘s Air Navigation Association (EANA) are investigating how the airport was left without an air traffic controller.
In a statement, they confirmed to Infobae that “the relevant investigations have been initiated, and the personnel involved have been removed from the operation while all necessary investigations are conducted.”;;
The state-owned company added: “Air navigation safety – which was never at risk in this situation – is a top priority.
“The association reaffirms its commitment to the highest standards of operation and control in Argentine airspace.”
According to local reports, the controller meant to be overseeing the morning’s arrivals was not at his desk.
EANA hasn’t explained why no one filled in or how many staff were on shift that morning.
Sources at AerolÃneas Argentinas told Infobae the airline was alerted mid-flight that Sauce Viejo’s tower was not operational.
EANA later said the jet “was in constant communication with the Ezeiza Area Control Center and the Paraná Airport control tower, ensuring operational safety.”;;
“Those responsible will be subject to the necessary sanctions to ensure this situation does not occur again,”;; the agency added.
Gisela Riuli, president of the Sauce Viejo Airport board of directors, told provincial outlet Aire de Santa Fe that they only realised something was wrong when staff couldn’t contact the tower for their standard 7.05am pre-operation check.
“At 7.05 am, like every day, provincial personnel request authorisation from the tower to conduct a pre-operation check,” she said.
“There they discover there was no response from the tower. A protocol is then activated, and we are informed that there are no people in the control tower.”
Riuli confirmed EANA has yet to offer an official explanation: “We requested a report from EANA to explain the reasons for the staff’s absence, and we are still waiting.”;;
She stressed that the tower is exclusively accessible to EANA personnel, and no other staff are authorised to enter.
“We know the situation caused anxiety and discomfort. We want to express our apologies and reaffirm our commitment to safety and quality of service,” she said.
