Delayed flights seem to be the norm these days, but after one pilot did not turn up to work, a man from Manchester stepped in to make sure he was able to go on holiday.
Michael Bradley was set to go on a family holiday with his wife and child to Alicante, Spain, but the flight was severely delayed after one of the pilots went “missing”.
Michael thought he would bring his professional ID, license and pilot shoes along with him to the airport just in case he was able to step in and fly the plane.
"My wife who's on row 15 with my little boy - hopefully, he's asleep by now, I should keep it down or else I'll get told off," Michael was heard telling passengers.
"She rolled over and punched me in the back of the head and said, 'Our flight's delayed by two hours because they are minus one captain for the flight'.
"So, just before we went through security I thought, I wonder if this is worth a phone call, I think it is because I'd like to go on holiday."
The dad from Manchester, England, continued: "I phoned up easyJet and said 'Hiya, I'm standing in the terminal doing nothing. I have got my licence with me - deliberately from being punched in the back of the head at 3 am.
"'I have got my ID with me and I'd very much like to go on holiday and if you need a favour I'm standing here ready to go.'
"They said, 'We'll phone you back'," Michael continued. "Thirty-eight seconds later they phoned me back and said, 'Please, please pretty please with a big cherry on top, can you fly the airplane to Alicante?'"
Michelle Pots, who was onboard the flight to Spain, later shared the ordeal on Facebook.
"It could only happen to me!! Get to the airport and our flight is delayed a couple of hours..." she wrote.
"Then I [happened] to look at the original time and it changed to gate closing!! Had to leg it across the airport to get on the flight…Get to boarding and asked the guy at the desk what's going on.
"He said, 'Oh your pilot's gone missing but a guy that's going on your flight is going to fly the plane ' REALLY CASUALLY!!!
"Luckily the guy was actually a pilot!! Probably would [have] been cancelled if it wasn't for him! Legend."
A spokesperson for easyJet later told Manchester Evening News that they were “grateful” that he volunteered to fly the plane.
"This meant customers could get to their destination and shows the commitment and dedication of our crew. This is fully in line with regulations as he had his licence and ID with him. Safety is always our highest priority."
The spokesperson also stressed that Michael was well-rested and was legally permitted to fly the aircraft as he had the previous four days off.
