Mutinous Air Berlin passengers were switched on to a replacement plane after their flight twice had to turn back before takeoff, a spokeswoman for the German airline said on Monday.

"In our opinion the passengers overreacted," said Alexandra Mueller, a spokeswoman for Air Berlin. "But it is understandable that the passengers were nervous especially in the aftermath of the plane crash in Madrid last month."

The Boeing 737 with 172 passengers on board was due to fly from Nuremberg in southern German to Faro in Portugal on Sunday morning.

The pilot first decided to return to the gate shortly after moving away from the terminal when he discovered a cockpit display screen was faulty, Mueller said.

After the display was repaired, the passengers boarded the aircraft a second time an hour later.

But the second attempted takeoff was abandoned when a flight attendant fainted before the plane could get to the runway.

Mueller said that the passengers then started a petition demanding a different aircraft for the flight to Faro.

"There was nothing at all wrong with the equipment," said Mueller. "It was only a faulty display that was repaired."

Last month 154 people were killed in Madrid when a plane crashed on its second attempt at takeoff after mechanical problems. There were four Germans among the victims.