Passengers stuck in Tenerife after ‘chaotic’ 24-hour flight delay as plane back to Manchester suddenly diverts
Passengers were stuck in a ‘chaotic’ 24-hour flight delay in Tenerife after their first plane returning to Manchester suddenly diverted on Saturday night (December 16). Groups of travellers jetting back home to Manchester Airport[1] were flown back to the Canary Islands just 30 minutes into the journey due to a ‘minor technical issue’ with the aircraft, before being told they would be put up in a hotel until the next available flight, at around 8am the next morning (Sunday, December 17). However, passengers were then told their flight home had been further delayed until 1pm, before another text informed them it had been moved to 4pm, and then again to 7pm – almost 24 hours after they were supposed to initially return.
Michelle Hamilton, who was one of the passengers on board, said people were ‘upset and angry’, including the elderly and families with young children, due to being kept waiting in the airport all day with ‘no information’. Once eventually being booked back on a flight to the UK, Michelle was among others told that they would be flown to Liverpool and then taken on a coach back to Manchester. “They told us first of all we’d be on the 8am flight [on Sunday morning] and being picked up at 5.30am from the hotel.
But then I got a text in the early hours saying it had been rescheduled for a 1pm flight and then that didn’t happen either,” she said on Sunday night. “Then it was 3pm and that didn’t happen. We’ve had absolutely no contact with Ryanair.
Not one person has come to tell us what’s going on so we took it upon ourselves to go back out to arrivals. A lot of people were upset and angry. It was chaos.
“In all fairness they got us back to Tenerife rapidly – but from then it was shocking. There are so many people here, including a young couple with a ten month old baby on special milk and they are running out.
The flight quickly returned to Tenerife just minutes after take off (Image: FlightRadar24)
“It’s so poor, we have been in the airport all day. I am young and fit enough to manage but people have no money and have been left all day from morning until now.”
Ryanair told the Manchester Evening News that the aircraft had to return to Tenerife on Saturday night due to a ‘minor technical issue’ and that the flight was delayed overnight after being inspected by engineers. The airline, that apologised for the inconvenience,says the reason for the departure time being repeatedly pushed back was due to servicing being carried out on the plane throughout Sunday and that some passengers were eventually seated on another flight back to Manchester. For others, they were flown to Liverpool and put on a coach back to Manchester.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “This flight from Tenerife to Manchester (16 Dec) returned to Tenerife shortly after take-off due to a minor technical issue. The aircraft landed, and passengers disembarked normally.
Ryanair said the plane diverted back to Tenerife due to a ‘minor technical issue’ (Image: PA)
“The aircraft was taken to be inspected by engineers, however it was determined that more time was needed to assess the aircraft and subsequently, this flight was delayed overnight. Passengers were notified of a new estimated departure time via SMS and provided with accommodation for the night with transport to/from Tenerife Airport which this passenger availed of.
“As engineers continued to service the aircraft the following day (17 Dec), the departure time was subsequently pushed throughout the day. To minimise disruption to passengers, a decision was made not to further delay the flight, and passengers were rerouted on the next available flight to Manchester that same day. This passenger was issued with refreshment vouchers while they waited and updated on the delay throughout the day via SMS.
“This passenger was reaccommodated on a flight from Tenerife to Liverpool (17 Dec) that evening where Ryanair had sourced ground transport to take the passengers from Liverpool to Manchester upon landing.
Ryanair sincerely apologises for the inconvenience caused by this delay, which was entirely beyond Ryanair’s control.”
References
- ^ Manchester Airport (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
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- ^ Horror as man has ‘finger cut off’ as suspect arrested by police (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)