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SYDNEY - Qantas flight attendants added irony to inconvenience when they screened an episode of Fawlty Towers on a plane delayed at Sydney Airport due to equipment problems.
A passenger aboard the flight awaiting take-off for Christchurch, New Zealand, telephoned media to say: "The irony is not lost on us."
First, the pilot announced the machine used to tow the plane onto the runway was faulty, he said.
Less than an hour later, the pilot apologised for a further delay, due to luggage not being stored properly in the cargo hold.
During the wait, flight attendants screened an episode of the 1970s British comedy sitcom Fawlty Towers about a dysfunctional hotel manager, played by John Cleese.
"People are walking around, everyone is quite restless," the passenger, identified only as Jock, told Fairfax.
"I got a chuckle out of the Fawlty Towers episode. It's a bit of black humour."
A Qantas spokeswoman confirmed delays resulting from a luggage problem but was unaware of a glitch with the towing machine.
She said the plane was delayed for about 75 minutes.
- AAP
