London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Manchester Airport: Co-pilot loads bags to help delayed flight

Manchester Airport: Co-pilot loads bags to help delayed flight

A co-pilot helped load luggage on to a 32-hour delayed flight to ensure it was finally able to take off.

Passenger Jenny Cook said the co-pilot, called Simon, was cheered by grateful passengers on the Tui flight to Crete from Manchester Airport on Monday.

He was described as a "legend" by passengers for his "heroic" actions.

Manchester Airport has once again been hit by travel chaos with passengers facing long queues amid cancellations and delays.

Tui has yet to comment on the co-pilot's actions but it has announced it will cancel six flights a day until the end of June "to provide stability and a better customer service".

Mrs Cook, from Warrington, Cheshire, said the pilot on the flight, which was due to depart at 07.55 GMT on Sunday, told passengers they were doing all they could to get the flight in the air but they only had a 40-minute window.

Passengers had to queue for hours on the bridge connecting terminals at Manchester airport


"He said 'even my co-pilot is loading bags' so we looked out of the window and there he was," she said.

"The next thing we knew we were taxing to the runway. We were all cheering.

"Simon had gone above and beyond."

Mrs Cook is now enjoying her holiday in Greece with her husband and daughters, which she said was partly thanks to Simon.

She added: "As a HR director, employee recognition is key, after all the negative press Tui has had recently and the journey we had been on, we were all taken aback on what Simon had done.

"I think Tui need to do something to recognise Simon."

Jenny Cook (right) said the family are now finally enjoying their holiday thanks to the co-pilot


Katherine Cox, from Warrington, who was also on the delayed flight, said: "The crew and pilot on the flight were amazing", adding Simon was the "hero of our holiday".

If it was not for "Simon's heroics we would have missed our air traffic control slot", she added.

Manchester Airport said Tui and Swissport, which provides ground services such as baggage handling, "are experiencing temporary staff shortages, in common with other aviation and travel companies".

A Tui spokeswoman said the firm was aware of videos "showing one of our amazing Tui pilots supporting our operation by loading bags on to one of our aircraft bound for Crete from Manchester".

"Whilst not something our pilots would normally do, this video is one example of the incredible dedication of Tui colleagues who are doing everything they can to get customers away on their holidays," she said.

"We can't thank him enough for his swift and decisive actions."

A spokesperson from Swissport apologised for its part in the delays and disruption.

"We're doing everything we can to address our role in meeting our resource challenges, welcoming over 2,000 new colleagues since the start of the year, and we continue to work with our partners to identify contingency measures and improve baggage and aircraft turnaround times."


Despite a 32-hour delay, the flight crew faced a race against time to leave Manchester Airport


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
×