Plane in Prague returns to pick up eight "Hot Peppers" hostesses; flight delayed over an hour

An unusual incident at Václav Havel Airport in Prague on Saturday disrupted a Smartwings flight bound for Split after the aircraft returned to the parking stand to pick up eight hostesses from the strip club "Hot Peppers", delaying the departure by more than an hour.

According to passenger accounts, the return happened after a mistake by staff in the airport's VIP lounge. The jet had already begun to move toward takeoff when it was sent back to the gate to collect the group.

Passengers voice frustration

The eight women were accompanied by a manager and a female manager; they were travelling to Croatia to film a promotional video for a yachting event, passengers said. The airline involved was Smartwings and the destination was Split.

One traveller complained that "the flight was unnecessarily delayed for more than an hour" because of the episode, while another passenger said that "the women were wearing T‑shirts with 'Hot Peppers' written on them."

The incident underlines how operational slip‑ups in terminal areas can ripple into aircraft schedules, forcing teams on the ground and in the cabin to adjust plans and leaving fellow travellers waiting.

Photo: Hot Pepers)