The Ryanair flight was forced to divert after a medical emergency, but passengers and crew were then left abandoned in the Spanish city after air traffic control staff refused to delay their home
British holidaymakers on a Ryanair flight were left high and dry in Spain after air traffic controllers reportedly knocked off early instead of waiting an extra 15 minutes for their diverted plane.
The flight from Malaga to Manchester, Flight RK3209, had to make an unscheduled stop in Bilbao due to a medical emergency. But the passengers and crew found themselves stranded as the air traffic staff allegedly chose to finish their shifts on time.
Sara Diggle, a passenger caught up in the chaos, told the Independent: “They went home so we were unloaded, left high and dry to make our own arrangements for hotels.”
Despite the inconvenience caused, an airport representative maintained that the adjusted flight schedule was beyond the airport’s working hours. They explained to the media: “I can confirm that the flight to Manchester departed on Sunday, at 13.01 local time.”
They continued: “It didn’t depart the night before because the flight plan exceeded the operational hours of Bilbao airport.”
A spokesperson for Ryanair also commented on the incident: “This flight from Malaga to Manchester diverted to Bilbao after a passenger became ill onboard.
“The aircraft landed safely, and the unwell passenger was attended to by medics and taken to hospital. We informed the other passengers about the diversion and outlined their options.”
In the wake of disrupted travel plans, Ryanair attempted to secure lodgings for affected passengers, reports the Express. However, the lack of options led to travellers being told to arrange their own accommodation, with the assurance that receipted expenses would be reimbursable via Ryanair.com.
The passengers were then flown to Manchester the next day,
