WestJet apologizes after passengers left stranded in Costa Rica [Video]

It was a travel nightmare that left more than 100 passengers, including Ottawa residents, stranded in Costa Rica this week.

A WestJet flight that was supposed to take off from Liberia, Costa Rica to Toronto on Saturday instead sat on the tarmac at the airport for five hours before being cancelled altogether.

The incident left dozens without overnight accommodations or food, some people with babies and wheelchairs.

For one Ottawa family, it was a travel nightmare after a much-needed getaway during the holidays.

“My husband is a neurosurgeon and I’m a nurse practitioner, we don’t go away very often,” said Margarita Sachs, who was travelling with her husband and twin teenagers. “To go on vacation, it was a big deal.”

The travel headache started with a routine boarding experience at the Liberia airport for their WestJet flight, but there were red flags as soon as they got on board.

“The …