Allegiant Air Passengers Stranded Six Hours, Chant 'Let Us Off' at Albany Airport

On February 17, passengers aboard Allegiant Air Flight 848 from Albany, New York, to Punta Gorda, Florida, experienced a six-hour tarmac ordeal, prompting them to chant 'let us off' in frustration. Delays were attributed to weather conditions and intermittent power outages at Albany International Airport, with boarding initially scheduled for 12:15 PM but occurring only around 3:30 PM. After the aircraft was pushed back for de-icing, the flight had to return to the gate as the crew exceeded their legal duty time. Passengers reported being denied food and water during the wait, leading to heightened tensions. Allegiant Air ultimately canceled the flight, allowing passengers to disembark around 10:15 PM and offered refunds along with a $200 compensation and a $150 travel voucher as a goodwill gesture. The incident has raised concerns about potential violations of Department of Transportation tarmac delay regulations.