This trip turned into a nightmare! Actually, Axel Robert Müller (44) only wanted to escape the German winter and relax with his family in Gran Canaria. But it turned out quite differently.
- Desert storm Calima raged in the Canary Islands.
- Bayern 3 moderator wanted to go on vacation there with his family
- Instead, he experienced a travel odyssey
Munich - Bayern presenter and communications trainer Axel Robert Müller booked a week's vacation. But even after two days he hadn't yet arrived at the vacation spot!
The desert storm "Calima", which raged on the Canary Islands, is to blame. A brown carpet was blowing from the Sahara over the sea: so strong that the airports on the islands had to close. Axel Robert Müller, who was traveling with his wife and two children, experienced a brutal travel odyssey.
"We left Munich around 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon," says the popular moderator. Arrival: 8 p.m. At least that's the plan. But the plane had to turn back over Morocco: the storm was too strong! The plane landed in Toulouse (France). Later it went on to Stuttgart, where the Müller family had to spend the night . “We got there around 11pm. We would have been faster with the ICE from Munich, ”jokes Müller.
Storm "Calima" blew desert sand from the Sahara over the Canaries.
© dpa / Andres Gutierrez
But his gallows humor was put to the test - because on Sunday the travel stresses got worse. Instead of heading south , Tuifly flew the holidaymakers to Hanover . From there it should finally go to the Canaries. “After waiting for hours, we unfortunately had to go back to the hotel,” says Müller, who had to spend the night with his family for the second time. In the meantime he had been out for a day and a half ...
"We were already on the tarmac, but had to get out again"
The plane was finally supposed to take off at 10 a.m. But again nothing! "We were already on the tarmac, but had to get out later." Again a long wait at the gate. At 2:35 p.m. the announcement suddenly: The flight was canceled. For the third time! Passengers should be back in the hotel 48 hours after the start of the trip. "Without us," decided the Müller family. "It is enough. We're going home. ”From Hanover to Fürstenfeldbruck, at our own expense . Tuifly has announced the departure for Gran Canaria again for 10 a.m. today, but many passengers have run out of steam.
Standsturm was "an absolute exceptional situation"
The situation around the sandstorm is "an exceptional situation," says Tui-fly spokesman Aage Dünhaupt. Seven machines were ordered back for security reasons. The bigger problem: Las Palmas airport was completely closed . Airplanes were only allowed to land again at 1 p.m. - little by little the aircraft could be processed in Gran Canaria. Tuifly is obliged to carry out the flights. "The delay is stupid. But I was much more annoyed at how badly we were informed, ”says Müller.
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