Six passengers on a crowded jet operated by Russia's Tatarstan Airlines had to stand for most of the five-hour flight, according to a report in London's Daily Mail.
The jet, a Boeing 737 with a capacity of 142 passengers, flew from Antalya to Ekaterinburg, Russia, on Sept. 24, the Daily Mail reported. However, 148 people were on board.
"When the plane flew through turbulence, they went from standing to sitting in the aisle where naturally they had no safety belts," a passenger told the paper.
The passengers did not have oxygen masks or life vests, according to reports out of Moscow.
"People had a choice," said Evgenia Fedorova, a manager of the tour that booked passengers on the flight, told Daily Mail. "To fly on that plane standing up, or wait seven hours for another plane. All the tourists decided to fly back despite uncomfortable conditions."
'We cannot deny this happened to our customers," an airline official said Tuesday, "but the company will not share any details until everything is clarified. Our own investigation of this accident is about to begin."
Angry passengers reportedly demanded £3,000 ($4,700) in compensation. The tour company offered £130.
