Flight chaos as Manchester Jet2 passengers are pressured to sleep on Lanzarote airport ground
The Jet2 flight LS182 to Manchester from Lanzarote Airport was due to take off at 8.15pm on Saturday night, but was cancelled due to the weather
Fuming holidaymakers returning to Manchester Airport say they were forced to sleep overnight on the floor of an airport in Lanzarote after a New Year flight nightmare.
The Jet2 flight LS182 to Manchester from Lanzarote Airport was due to take off at 8.15pm on Saturday night, but was cancelled due to the weather, according to the Spanish airport.
And passengers were left stranded with nowhere to go and nothing to do but bunk up on the airport floor while they waited to try and get home, report the Manchester Evening News.
One of those affected – Carl Bickerton, 62, from Stockport – had enjoyed a week’s holiday on the island with his wife and their son, 16. He told how they eventually boarded a flight home at around noon on Sunday – a delay of some 16 hours.
Carl said passengers including children were left without food and drink in the airport in Lanzarote, and were forced to sleep on the ground, on suitcases or on chairs.
He said the 8.15pm Saturday flight, which was full, boarded as it should have done, but passengers remained seated on board for some four hours before they were eventually taken off and sent back to the terminal.
“It has been eventful and a bit bizarre,” Carl said. “It was a bit like a dream. We got to the airport at about 5.45pm ready to go. It rained a bit and we heard there was a storm coming, but that did not happen. We also heard there were a few flights suffering with turbulence.
“But when we got there, things seemed fine. We got a delay of about an hour then boarded the flight, but we were on there for around four hours. We eventually got off at about five to midnight. We had no indication of what was going on. We kept being told we were waiting for clearance.
“Bizarrely, the captain let all the kids go down to the cockpit to have a look. Some of the children were making announcements on the tannoy. It was just to keep morale up for the kids, but it was a bit bizarre.”
Carl told how passengers’ bags were unloaded and they returned to the terminal. The airport, however, closed at midnight, he said. “Some reps came around and they were trying to find some hotels for people. They found a few, but receptions were not picking up,” he added. “It became a bit chaotic and tempers were getting high.”
Carl said a Jet2 manager who arrived did his best to arrange hotel rooms, including helping some passengers with disabilities. But he said: “Some people needed medication and some were in tears. I slept on the floor. My lad slept on the cases. The majority of people slept on chairs or the floor. People just wanted to know what was going on.”
He said passengers were given 20 Euro vouchers for food and drink and at 6am on Sunday, those still at the airport were told they would be boarding the flight at noon.
“We got complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits,” he said. “It was totally bizarre. The rest of the people who went to the hotels, we never saw them again. We were told that they were coming home on Monday. I have complained to Jet2 and to be fair, they have been pretty sound about it.”
A spokesperson for César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport said on Sunday: “Due to adverse weather conditions yesterday, some flights were diverted and/or cancelled. Passenger assistance are the responsibility of the airlines. The airport collaborates with them to support the operations.”
Jet2 has been approached for comment.
