About 100 people missed their Manchester flight and were left stranded in the heat at the international airport
easyJet passengers were ‘close to passing out’ after being left in sweltering conditions as their Manchester-bound flight departed without them amid border control chaos.
Approximately 100 people were left stranded in Milan on Sunday, April 12 following queues of up to three hours at Milan’s Linate airport caused by new border control checks.
Beyond worries about getting home, numerous passengers were reportedly vomiting and fainting due to the heat, according to the BBC.
easyJet stated it was working to assist passengers but that the circumstances were “outside of our control”.
Massive queues developed at the international airport causing chaos, reports the Mirror.
Images and footage posted online captured scenes of chaos as extensive queues built up at the international airport.
The disruption follows the UK government’s updated guidance for travellers to the European Schengen area, meaning they may need to register biometric information upon arrival.
The introduction of the EU entry and exit system (EES) is a digital system that supersedes the physical stamping of passports during boarding control.
The carrier explained that it held the aircraft for nearly an hour beyond schedule, but ultimately had to take off due to crew working time regulations.
Passengers have expressed frustration after arriving at the airport with ample time, only to now face significant delays getting home.
Emily Benn, from Grimsby, was travelling with five others on the 11am flight. Her replacement flight will now land at Gatwick instead of Manchester, leaving her facing a £400 taxi fare upon arrival.
She told the M.E.N: “We got to the airport at 8am and our flight was due to leave Milan Linate at 11am. As soon as our gate came on the board, we went straight to it and there was already a huge queue.
“The queue was for three separate flights, and there were hundreds of passengers all trying to get through. The new EES wasn’t working, so we all had to be checked by two people on passport control.
“It got to 11:20am and we were told the flight had left without us. They put us all on a shuttle bus and sent us back to the arrivals area, where we had to go back to the easyJet desk.
“We were told to rebook flights, so have booked to Gatwick and will then pay £400 for a taxi back to Manchester as that’s where our car is parked. We are a party of five adults and one child, who is due to have spinal surgery in a few days.”
Fellow passengers took to social media to describe the ordeal as a ‘nightmare’. One user posted: “What a nightmare!
“You abandoned me and 122 other passengers in Milan. You flew to Manchester with 34 onboard.
“We queued for three hours and all the time the flight info remained at ‘boarding’ we were then told the delayed flight had left.” An easyJet spokesperson said: “We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport.
“We held flight EJU5420 from Milan to Manchester for nearly an hour to give passengers extra time but it had to then depart due to crew reaching their safety regulated operating hours. Customers who missed the flight have been offered a free flight transfer.
“We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers. While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.”
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