Actually, around 300 Belgian passengers were supposed to fly from Punta Cana via Montego Bay to Brussels on November 23, 2023. But during the stopover on the outbound flight, a technical defect was discovered on the Boeing 787-8 with the registration OO-LOE. For the travelers, this was the start of a real odyssey.

On November 23, 2023, this aircraft was scheduled to operate the direct flight TB165 from Brussels to Montego Bay with a stopover in Punta Cana. However, the plane got stranded during the stopover. The travelers who wanted to get to their destination were just as stuck as those who wanted to travel back to Belgium from Punta Cana or Montego Bay.

The OO-LOE had a technical defect that had to be remedied first for safety reasons. But that exactly took much longer than the airline and especially the passengers would have liked. This plane was only able to leave Punta Cana airport on November 27, 2023 with the destination Brussels.

Some of those affected are heavily critical of Tuifly Belgium because they have only been provided with very little information. Hotel rooms were made available in both Montego Bay and Punta Cana, but no one knew when they would go home. 

However, the carrier is said to have shown understanding regarding compensation. Compensation benefits of 600 euros per person would have already been offered in accordance with the Air Passenger Rights Ordinance. However, many passengers criticize the fact that Tuifly Belgium did not comply with the express request to rebook connections with other airlines, even though there is a legal right to do so, which has been confirmed by various highest courts. Rather, the carrier preferred to let the passengers wait in the Caribbean for the Dreamliner to be repaired.