• Ryanair Boeing 737
    Ryanair
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    FR/RYR
    Airline Type:
    Low-Cost Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Dublin Airport, London Stansted Airport, Milan Bergamo Airport
    Year Founded:
    1985
    Airline Group:
    Ryanair Group
    CEO:
    Eddie Wilson
    Country:
    Ireland

A misunderstanding at Palma Airport in Spain left 14 Ryanair passengers stranded over the weekend, reports local media.

Stuck at the terminal

After arriving at gate C55 on time for Ryanair flight FR5729 to Malaga, the group was left waiting for a shuttle after ground crew had advised that the previous one was full. When the bus failed to return, the passengers checked online and was shocked to discover the flight had already departed.

One passenger vented their frustration to Ultima Hora, noting,

“I don’t understand how it could have happened. We have passed the QR code at the security check. In the system it should appear that we were on land.”

Ryanair Boeing 737
Photo: Ryanair

The group was accommodated onboard the airline’s 22:00 service, though several had already missed connecting flights.

Passenger Susana Guerro expressed concern about potentially missing her chemotherapy session due to the mix-up, adding,

“At this point and after all this, I still don't know if I'm going to spend the night at the airport or if they'll let me go home.”

Ryanair provided each group member with a €4 voucher to spend at the airport as compensation during their several-hour wait.

Speaking to The Independent, a Ryanair spokesperson clarified that the mistake had been made by the airport’s ground staff, adding,

“The airport handler who operates the airport shuttle bus at Palma De Mallorca failed to collect this small group of passengers awaiting their bus at the airport gate to bring them to their plane, causing them to miss their flight to Malaga (30 Apr).”

“Affected passengers received refreshment vouchers and were reaccommodated on a later flight, with one passenger opting for a refund. Ryanair apologises sincerely to passengers for this inconvenience.”

Ryanair Fleet Boeing 737
Photo: Getty Images.

Similar incidents

This weekends incident is not the first of its kind for Ryanair, which has experienced several high profile “strandings” over the past few months, including a young family left in France after being given incorrect flight details and a sudden flight cancellation at Fuerteventura Airport as the jet was set to depart a minute after the airport’s closure.

In March, two holidaymakers wound up in Spain after boarding the wrong flight at Marseille Airport. The couple had initially been booked onboard a Ryanair flight to London Stansted but were horrified to realize that an hour into their journey that they were headed for Madrid.

The couple attested that they had their boarding passes scanned three times before boarding, confusing them and the flight attendants.

Speaking to Manchester Evening News earlier this month, the couple claimed that they had been unable to contact the airline since the incident and were unaware of what happened.

A Ryanair spokesperson clarified with the newspaper that while the couple had boarded at the correct gate, they had failed to follow the allocated route and crossed an unauthorized area. As the flight was under-booked, the couple took the seats allocated to them on the previous flight, which would have otherwise raised concerns. Ryanair added,

“Mr. Jezequel and Ms. Mallia were accommodated on a flight from Madrid to London Stansted later that day. It is each passenger’s responsibility to ensure they board the correct aircraft.”

Has a similar incident happened to you? Let us know in the comments.

Sources: Ultima Hora, The Independent, Manchester Evening News