Centurion residents safe after being stranded in Germany
What was then supposed to be a one-way flight to OR Tambo, turned into a nightmare as the plane had to land in Moscow before flying to Johannesburg.
A Centurion couple this week spoke to Rekord of their ordeal flying back to South Africa after they spent almost three months in Covid-19 quarantine overseas.
Megan Theart (28) and her partner Llewellyn Janse van Rensburg (25) were among the 270 passengers on Flight SA2961 who were stranded for 26 hours in Frankfurt when a faulty door on their plane wouldn’t close.
The couple finally arrived on South African soil on Sunday.
All the passengers on the flight must now undergo mandatory quarantine for the next two weeks.
Theart and Janse van Rensburg were contracted for four months to work on the Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Line.
They signed in on 19 January at Port Canaveral in Florida USA to start their contract.
However, early in March the company announced that its cruises would be suspended for two weeks until further notice.
“After their announcement we were quarantined for 89 days.
“Although we were safe, we were anxious to get home,” said Theart.
On 10 June, their flight was scheduled for take-off at 13:55 at Frankfurt Airport.
Their destination: OR Tambo International.
READ MORE: Experience of a South African repatriated citizen
But after a four-hour wait in their seats, the passengers were informed that because of the faulty door, the plane could not take off.
“We were told that our flight had been rescheduled for the following afternoon. Luckily, we were transported to a hotel, but some of the passengers were not allowed back into Germany and many had to spend the night sleeping on benches at the airport,” she said.
What was then supposed to be a one-way flight to OR Tambo, turned into a nightmare as the plane had to land in Moscow before flying to Johannesburg.
“As we landed in Moscow to pick up more South Africans, double seat bookings were made. Fortunately, there was enough space for all.”
They finally arrived in Johannesburg on 14 June.
The couple will be in self-isolation at a hotel in Centurion for the coming two weeks.
“We were told we were not allowed any contact with family or friends in that time. My mom dropped off some biltong and rusks yesterday. We were all in tears as I could not run to my mom and give her a hug.”
“It has been a rough couple of months. We are just glad to be back at last and knowing that we and our families are safe and well,” said Theart.
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