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MORE than 40 Ryanair passengers were left stranded in Budapest after being denied boarding their flight – even though the plane was “still at the airport.”
Footage shared on social media showed a group of frustrated holidaymakers arguing with a staff member after being denied entry for no clear reason.
Ryanair passengers were left stranded in Budapest after being denied boardingCredit: Reuters
Ryanair responded to the altercation (stock)Credit: Alamy
In the dramatic footage, several travelers are seen at gate B26, apparently unable to board their flight to Tirana, Albania.
Some can be heard expressing their frustration, while the employee responds: “I know, I’m not happy about it either!”
The airport worker adds: “If anyone checked in luggage, your bags will be at the baggage claim.”
The outraged passenger who posted the video claimed that the “aircraft was still there” during the chaotic incident.
They wrote on social media: “Stupid @Ryanair and @budairport did not allow over 40 people to board flight FR6887 to Tirana, closed the gate, and denied boarding, while the aircraft was still there. They unloaded luggage and said ‘get the f**k out,’ refusing to provide official documentation of boarding refusal.”
The disgruntled traveler added: “Not much hope, but now I’m going to pursue them.”
Explaining that they had spent an hour in the passport control line, the holidaymaker stated there was no last call announcement for the flight.
They also mentioned that they had to wait over 30 minutes for the bags to be unloaded before takeoff.
The passenger said: “I waited an hour in line at non-EU passport control due to slow processing.”
“There was no last call for the Tirana flight scheduled to depart at 14:20.”
They continued: “I arrived at gate 26 at 14:00 (while the app indicated gate 14, but whatever).”
“The gate was closed, and boarding was denied to 40 people. The plane waited over 30 minutes for luggage to be unloaded.”
A spokesperson for Budapest Airport told the Daily Mail : “During the time in question, a higher number of flights departed simultaneously than usual from the non-Schengen zone, which caused congestion at passport control.
“Budapest Airport and the Airport Police Directorate did everything possible to ensure that passengers went through controls on time, but unfortunately, not all airlines waited for their passengers.
“Passengers who missed their flights were assisted in rebooking. For more information, please contact the respective airlines.”
The airport also stated: “We apologize to the affected passengers for any inconvenience caused.”
Meanwhile, Ryanair informed the outlet: “Due to passport control delays at Budapest Airport on December 15, several passengers missed this flight from Budapest to Tirana.
“Had these passengers arrived at the boarding gate desk before it closed, they would have boarded this flight alongside the 137 passengers who did present at the gate on time.”
This incident follows hundreds of passengers being stranded in Faro, Portugal, due to a series of strikes.
To complicate matters further, most passengers reportedly were not informed about the strike action before departing that morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were passengers denied boarding?
Passengers were denied boarding due to delays at passport control, which led to the flight departing without them.
What did the airport say about the incident?
The airport stated that they did everything possible to assist passengers and apologized for the inconvenience caused due to the congestion at passport control.
What is Ryanair's stance on the situation?
Ryanair indicated that passengers who missed the flight failed to arrive at the boarding gate before it closed, which resulted in them not being able to board.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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