Posted on: Friday, October 1, 2004

Illness fear delays flight to Canada

Advertiser Staff

A Harmony Airways flight to Vancouver was delayed for several hours at Honolulu International Airport on Wednesday after several passengers complained of illness.

The passengers had just completed a cruise to Hawai'i and were returning home on the charter flight when some began complaining of coughing and sore throats.

When the pilot, fearing an infectious disease, refused to take off, U.S. public health officials were called, said Transportation Department spokes-man Scott Ishikawa.

Four of the passengers were taken to Straub Clinic & Hospital, examined and returned to the plane, said Health Department spokeswoman Darcie Yukimura. The flight was able to continue when no infectious disease was discovered, Yukimura said.

Other passengers were forced to stay on the plane while the four were being examined, said passenger Ehren Richardson of Vancouver. They were only told that the plane was being checked for a suspected virus, he said.

The plane left about four hours past its scheduled departure time, Ishikawa said.