Smartwings flight returns to Prague gate for missing passengers

A Smartwings Boeing 737 Max flight bound for Split, Croatia, was forced to return to the gate at Václav Havel Airport Prague on Saturday after passengers had already boarded and the aircraft began its departure process.

The return was prompted by the absence of ten women from the Hot Peppers strip club, who were traveling to Croatia to film a promotional video for a yachting event. The incident caused a delay of over one hour for all passengers on board.

Smartwings stated that the return was based on incorrect information provided to dispatch by an employee of the airport's VIP lounge. The manager of Hot Peppers, Nikol Hofmann Veselá, noted that the club's staff had been told by the VIP Service Club Continental—a service under the Prague Airport—that they had sufficient time, but they were not transported to the aircraft until after the scheduled departure time.