TUI ordered 47 'sick' passengers off a Cape Verde flight to Manchester.

The move from the airline came in a bid to avoid a medical diversion after a gastric illness hit the island.

Passengers on board the Manchester-bound flight at Boa Vista airport were forced to wait another two days to get home.

The flight had been due to depart for the UK on Sunday, October 6.

But a number of holiday-makers staying on the island had been struck down with gastric illness during their stay, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Once everyone had boarded the plane, cabin crew members investigated how many passengers had been ill.

They asked anyone who had been affected to turn on the overhead light above their seat.

"All the lights just went 'ding, ding, ding'," passenger Michaela Mclachlan said.

The captain then asked all of the passengers who had indicated they'd been ill to leave the aircraft for a medical check.

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Michaela, 53, and her husband James, 54, were two of the 47 people asked to leave the plane.

Michaela, a nurse from Skipton, said: "We were told that they initially had concerns about a little girl who was poorly.

"But the crew had got wind of the fact that quite a few of the passengers had had this bug.

"We'd been ill earlier in the week but it hadn't ruined our holiday. We'd just cancelled a few of the day trips and stayed on our terrace.

Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport is the UK's third largest airport outside London and the seventh largest overall.

By 2033, Birmingham Airport is forecast to handle around 18 million passengers a year, an increase of 40% compared to current passengers numbers.

DQP_BEM_110718AIRPORT_137.JPG 

Size: Seventh largest in UK. Third largest outside London.

Location: Bickenhill, Solihull

Runways: 3,052 length, 10,013 ft.

Passengers: 12,445,295 (as of 2018)

Busiest domestic routes: Belfast City (275,000 passengers), Edinburgh (267,000), Belfast International (252,000), Glasgow International (234,000), Aberdeen (112,560).

Busiest international routes: Dublin (923,000 passengers), Dubai (710,517), Amsterdam (703,047), Paris-Charles de Gaulle (412,080), Palma de Mallorca (383,348).

Operating base for: Flybe, Jet2.com, Ryanair, Thomas Cook Airlines and TUI Airways.

"When the cabin crew asked us about it, I turned on our light because I thought we should be honest.

"With hindsight, I wish I'd never turned it on because of the stress and upheaval it caused. They told us we all had to get off the flight for a check with the doctor.

"They gave us in-transit cards, but then immediately said 'you can't get back on'.

"The captain said we couldn't get back on in case we had to take a medical diversion. We'd left everything on there. I didn't have my passport or anything.

"My husband is diabetic and started to go hypo because he didn't have any of his snacks.

"Hours later with nothing to eat or drink but a box of juice and some biscuits, we were told we wouldn't be flying at all.

"It was a nightmare. It wasn't like everyone was being sick or queuing for the bathroom."

Passengers say that hours later, everyone was given a doctor’s note confirming their fitness to fly.

To make matters worse, the couple was transferred to a different hotel for two nights.

Michaela and James managed to get a flight to London Gatwick on Tuesday, October 8 and eventually made it home on Wednesday morning.

Others waited even longer and were flown to Manchester via the nearby island of Sal and Brussels.

A TUI spokesperson said: "We can confirm as a precautionary measure any passengers reporting symptoms consistent with gastroenteritis were removed from flight TOM227 before departure from Cape Verde earlier this month.

"The passengers were taken to a medical facility and given temporary accommodation until they obtained a fit to fly certificate.

"Alternative flights to the UK were then arranged, along with any transport where necessary.

"The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always our highest priority.

"We are in contact with all affected customers to apologise for any inconvenience to their holiday."