The Austrian regional airline Peoples faced significant schedule changes last week due to a technical defect on its only aircraft, an Embraer 170 with the registration OE-LMK.
The aircraft had been in Zurich since an emergency landing on May 13, 2025, and could not be used as planned. To maintain flight operations, Peoples was forced to resort to wet lease agreements and temporarily operate flights from Friedrichshafen.
The technical defect affected the landing flaps of the Embraer 170, making a landing on the shorter runway at its original destination, Altenrhein, seem too risky. The passengers were initially stranded in Zurich, from where they received further care. Peoples relied on an Airbus A320 from Leav Aviation to operate the flights. However, due to the length of the runway in Altenrhein, the aircraft temporarily operated from Friedrichshafen. This created logistical challenges for the passengers, who had checked in regularly in Altenrhein and had to be transported to Friedrichshafen by bus.
Since Sunday, May 19, 2025, Peoples has been able to operate its flights again with its own aircraft. The Embraer 170, registration OE-LMK, is operational again after the technical defect was repaired. This allows the regional airline to return to its regular flight schedule from Altenrhein. The incident highlights the vulnerability of smaller airlines with a limited fleet to unforeseen technical problems.