Eleven passengers were left with minor injuries after unexpected turbulence on a flight from Barbados to Manchester.
About 225 passengers and 13 crew were on board the Maleth Aero charter flight on December 24 following a P&O Cruises Caribbean cruise.
The turbulence happened about two hours after departure from Barbados, with pilots forced to divert the aircraft to Bermuda.
More: P&O Cruises ‘exploring’ airline options for Caribbean fly-cruises
Eleven passengers were treated for minor injuries upon landing, while Maleth Aero’s 13 crew members were uninjured.
Passengers on the flight had to stay in hotels in Bermuda over Christmas due to a lack of available flights.
A replacement aircraft took off from Bermuda at 4pm on December 26 and arrived back in the UK in the early hours of this morning (December 27).
“Following freak turbulence, a flight from Barbados to Manchester was diverted to Bermuda on Sunday morning,” said the P&O Cruises spokesperson.
“Having explored all flying options and due to airport operating times, guests were placed in hotels in Bermuda. The flight home departed at 4pm today (December 26).”
The spokesperson apologised to passengers on the flight and said the cruise line worked “round the clock” to resolve the issue as swiftly as possible.
They added: “We are very sorry for this disruption to the journey following their holiday and we worked round the clock with the airline and hotels to take care of the guests and to ensure they get home as soon as possible.”
P&O Cruises has a contract with Maleth Aero to supply charter aircraft for some direct flights from Gatwick and Manchester to Barbados and Antigua to take customers to Britannia and Arvia until March 23, 2024.
Last week, the cruise line said it would advise agents “as soon as possible” on whether the airline would continue to be used for some of its fly-cruises after the contract expires.