Exhausted Passengers Land in SFO After 28 Hour Ordeal

A flight from Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, to San Francisco is long enough (over 16 hours), but it seemed like a lifetime for the passengers of Etihad Airlines flight 183, who were stuck on the runway for 12 hours before their flight even took off.

Travelers were furious that they were trapped inside the plane for half a day — thanks to dense fog covering the city — with some tweeting that they weren't given food or information during that time. An Etihad spokesperson said passengers were given refreshments and indeed briefed on the delay. Apparently, the Abu Dhabi airport was too crowded to allow the passengers off the plane. The delay was exacerbated by the crew exceeding their flight time limitations, Buzzfeed reports. 

"We apologize for the serious inconvenience that these events, which have been beyond our control, have caused," a statement from the airline said. 

Horribly, a Dusseldorf, Germany-bound flight Etihad flight was delayed by 30 hours because of the fog and the death of a 73-year-old passenger mid-flight.

Etihad is known as one of the most luxurious airlines, with lie-flat beds and personal chefs in first class and entertainment screens and relatively roomy seats in all classes.

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