Flight bound for Adelaide delayed by nine hours after dog bites pilot

PASSENGERS flying to Adelaide on Friday were barking mad after a naughty dog in Bali delayed their flight by nine hours.

13/12/2004. Singapore airport ground staff fills-up water supply on a Jetstar Asia Airbus A320 before its departure at the Terminal One of Changi International Airport in Singapore. Jetstar Asia's maiden flight to Hong Kong departs Changi airport on 13/12.. AFP PicRoslan/Rahman aviation aircraft airlines plane logo logos workers

PASSENGERS flying to Adelaide were barking mad after a naughty dog in Bali delayed their flight by nine hours ­yesterday.

And they weren’t even compensated for it as they sat down to make their departure, ­denied complimentary beers.

Jetstar flight JQ92 from Darwin to Adelaide, regularly scheduled to leave at 7.35am, left Darwin Airport about 4.20pm.

Jetstar said the delay occurred after the flight’s first officer suffered a dog bite in Bali ahead of his arrival in Darwin.

“The first officer fell ill ... he had sustained a small dog bite to his right leg, above the ankle, during his rest break in Bali,” spokesman Stephen Moynihan said.

Jetstar could not confirm if the dog was a stray, but said there was no risk to the officer.

“He he has been given a clean bill of health,” Mr Moyni­han said.

READ: ONE-THIRD OF JETSTAR FLIGHTS FROM DARWIN LEAVING LATE

There were 144 passengers on the flight, and one, who did not wish to be named, said he was upset with how the delay was handled.

“There was no communication about the status of the flight from Jetstar to the ­passengers,” he said.

“They kept delaying the time over and over, from 8.30 to 9, 10.30, 1.30, 4.20 ... if they knew what was going on just tell me so I don’t have to sit around.

“I’ve lost a whole day of my weekend now.”

The passenger even requested a beer to wash down the bitter taste of the day, but told us from the plane he was denied.

“It was their last shot at ­redemption,” he said.

“There’s free tea and coffee, but they said no to the beer, or even soft drinks.”

Mr Moynihan said that ­Jetstar apologised to customers for the delay, which ­involved ­flying another pilot to Darwin to operate the service on to Adelaide.