Blue Islands blames heatwave for dirty water 'leak’

Thursday 04 August 2022

Dirty water spotted leaking onto seats on a Blue Islands flight was the result of condensation amid “unusually high operating temperatures”, the airline has said.

The dirty water was spotted on the SI4433 from Jersey to Guernsey on 19 July, minutes before the plane landed at Guernsey Airport at 18:03.

However, Express understands that the problem has occurred on more than one occasion.

Express contacted the airline the following day to ask for the cause of the leak, how long it had been occurring and whether there was a policy around seating due to the leak.

Details of any planned repairs to address the issue were also requested. 

Pictured: Water appeared to be 'leaking' from above on the plane.

It wasn’t until nearly two weeks later, and following several prompts, that Blue Islands responded.

A spokesperson for the airline said the customer comfort issue was linked with the “unusually high” operating temperatures. 

The day before, record-breaking high temperatures had been experienced across the islands, with Jersey reaching 37.9 degrees. 

“In running-up our on-board air-conditioning pack, to ensure our passengers were as cool as can be during the heatwave, some condensation occurred in the air conditioning ducts, due to the unusually high operating temperatures,” Blue Islands said. 

After the airline had been made aware of the water, “licensed engineers duly inspected the area to confirm the above”, the spokesperson said.

They added: “Naturally, the safety of our passengers and crew is our number one priority.”