Ryanair crew lock toilets as re-routed passengers stage four-hour sit-in

[Naim 6]

Ryanair crew lock toilets, turn out lights and leave plane as re-routed passengers stage four-hour sit-in

 

By Ian Sparks

Last updated at 1:24 PM on 17th November 2010

 

More than 100 furious passengers staged a mutiny aboard a Ryanair flight last night by refusing to get off a plane that was re-routed to Belgium.

 

The jet carrying mainly French travellers from Fez in Morocco was supposed to have landed at Beauvais airport near Paris on Tuesday night but was delayed by weather.

 

But because it took off three hours late, by the time it reached Beauvais, the airport had closed.

 

The Ryanair flight was scheduled to fly from Fez to Beauvais, France, outside of Paris. Instead it landed in Liege, Belgium

 

Liege is about a three-hour drive from Beauvais

 

 

When it landed at the southern Belgian city of Liege, the militant travellers staged a four-hour sit-in, demanding to be taken back to France.

 

Passengers claimed that when they refused to get off the plane, Ryanair cabin crew locked the toilets, turned off the lights and left them on the tarmac for four hours.

 

Reda Yahiyaoui, travelling with his wife, three-year-old daughter and two-month old baby, said: 'We were all tired after a long journey and angry at being dumped 200 miles away in Belgium.

 

'We just wanted to get back home so we sat on the plane asking to be flown to France.

 

'But they just parked the plane then turned off the lights and locked the toilets and left us with no food or water.

 

'The pilot also got off and even left the cockpit door open.'

 

Another passenger Mylene Netange said: 'We were staging a legitimate protest but what they did was unacceptable.

 

'They just walked off and left us there.'

 

A Liege airport spokesman said they tried to coax the passengers off the plane by offering them food and drink in an airport lounge, then free buses back to Beauvais.

 

He added: 'We said they could sit in comfort in a transit lounge but it was a difficult negotiation and they refused to budge.'

 

It was not until 3.30am, four hours after the plane touched down, that the passengers finally agreed to get off the plane, he added.

 

The passengers were said to have all finally agreed to board coaches for the three-hour drive back to Beauvais in the early hours of Wednesday.

 

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said in a statement: 'Due to the weather related (fog) closure of Paris Beauvais Airport on 16th Nov four Ryanair flights were forced to divert to Liege.

 

'The majority of passengers followed crew requests to disembark for onward coach transportation to Paris Beauvais. Passengers on one flight, FR5222 (Fez – Paris Beauvais), ignored crew instructions and remained on the aircraft until requested to disembark by Airport Police.

 

'Ryanair thanks the majority of passengers who followed crew advice and apologises to them for the inconvenience of these weather related diversions. All passengers were coached onward to Beauvais.

 

'This is now a matter for the police.'

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1330423/Ryanair-crew-lock-toilets-turn-lights-passengers-stage-sit-in.html#ixzz15YdNGnYS

[Radzi 2]

It will always be difficult when people don't understand flight time limitation, curfew and weather-related diversions.

[S M Tang 0]

Too bad they didn't know that they could unlock the lavatory doors from the outside! But seriously, would they wanna risk their lives going into a fogged up airport which is below the recommended limitations? I wouldn't.

[Pieter C. 5]

Why wouldn't they divert to another Paris airport, like ORY or CDG ?

 

I know, it's not a FR-base, but at least it's Paris and not Liege/Luik in Belgium...

[Naim 6]

Why wouldn't they divert to another Paris airport, like ORY or CDG ?

 

I know, it's not a FR-base, but at least it's Paris and not Liege/Luik in Belgium...

 

Why not CRL Charleroi, which is FR-based? Slightly nearer to Paris too.

 

[Radzi 2]

How was the weather at the other airports, CDG, ORY and CRL? May not be suitable for diversion too.

[Pieter C. 5]

How was the weather at the other airports, CDG, ORY and CRL? May not be suitable for diversion too.

 

Why not Lille, Vatry, Tours or Poitiers ? They have so many destination in France, so why go to Belgium, for Pete's sake ?

 

With full ILS operational, what's the minimum vertical- and horizontal limit for the 738 ?

[Keno Omar 0]

While most people could understand that flights do get delayed or diverted beyond the airline's control, it's the manner that the airline handles the situation that often pisses them the most.

 

My Ryanair flight from Venice to Stansted in 2003 was diverted to Gatwick due to a fire at the airport (can't recall the details). The plane was parked at Gatwick tarmac for 2 hours before we were cleared to take off again. I would have appreciated if Ryanair could the very, very least do another round of food sales - I wasn't expecting miracles that they would hand out free food. I doubt that they have ran out of food or drinks by then, since I didn't see many people buying food during the first round. Instead, the flight attendants were almost nowhere to be seen, rather than attending to our needs.

 

I truly despise Ryanair, but I still fly with them though

Edited November 18, 2010 by Keno Omar

[Waiping 12]

While most people could understand that flights do get delayed or diverted beyond the airline's control, it's the manner that the airline handles the situation that often pisses them the most.

 

My Ryanair flight from Venice to Stansted in 2003 was diverted to Gatwick due to a fire at the airport (can't recall the details). The plane was parked at Gatwick tarmac for 2 hours before we were cleared to take off again. I would have appreciated if Ryanair could the very, very least do another round of food sales - I wasn't expecting miracles that they would hand out free food. I doubt that they have ran out of food or drinks by then, since I didn't see many people buying food during the first round. Instead, the flight attendants were almost nowhere to be seen, rather than attending to our needs.

 

I truly despise Ryanair, but I still fly with them though

 

Maybe they did ran out of food stuff since it happened on my AK flight before.

[Naim 6]

...

I truly despise Ryanair, but I still fly with them though

 

love-hate relationship, i see. i'd choose easyjet over ryanair anytime.

[Juergen Witte 0]

While most people could understand that flights do get delayed or diverted beyond the airline's control, it's the manner that the airline handles the situation that often pisses them the most.

 

That´s exactly the point !

 

Of course there would have been other options nearer to Paris/Beauvais - e.g.CDG - but Ryanair just choosed the cheapest solution. At this late daytime some options are not availlable due to night curfew at some airports. But CDG does not fall under such limitations.

It´s just that CDG has very high handling and landing fees that Ryanair is not willing to pay ...

Next to this it´s the crew´s obligation to inform passengers why their flight is diverted and how passengers get to their planned destination !

 

Well, i´m pretty sure the crew will not get away with leaving the passengers behind in the aircraft !

Because airport police would have taken over control if the crew requested to do so.

Leaving the the passengers in the aircraft with the cockpit door open is not a trivial safety/security issue if the aircraft is under power. No matter whether lights have been switched off - someone clever (or in the knowing) might find out how to set the aircraft back under power - and it´s your guess what possibly can happen if thing get out of control ...

[Pieter C. 5]

i'd choose easyjet over ryanair anytime.

 

Amen...

 

But CDG does not fall under such limitations.

It´s just that CDG has very high handling and landing fees that Ryanair is not willing to pay ...

 

Exactly my point: why not go to the 4 "Ryanair" airports I mentioned before; besides, Vatry XCR is open 24 hours and close to Paris-Disneyworld...(don't know the weather situation, though, at that time)...besides, XCR is one of the cheapest airports in France, hence it's very popular for training- and cargo-flights !!!