Passengers miss Ryanair flight following long queues at Toulouse airport border control
Crowds at border control meant that passengers missed a flight to London Stansted
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More than 100 passengers at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport missed a Ryanair flight after “pure chaos” caused by border control staff shortages led to long queues.
A Ryanair flight to London Stansted departed Toulouse without all its passengers on 30 May after large crowds at border control prevented them from reaching the gate on time.
A passenger who was travelling with her children told The Connexion that she just made it onto the flight, but the pilot announced that approximately 150 passengers had not been able to board.
She said that check-in at the airport was busy but manageable and security was relatively quick, but after this point the situation descended into “pure chaos.”
She estimated that around 400-500 people were waiting in the border control area, with no clear organisation.
“There was no structure at the airport. There were people pushing at all times,” she told the news website, adding that passengers with babies and vulnerable travellers were not being prioritised and were instead caught up in the crowd.
She added that those booked on other planes departing at the same time would have also missed their flights.
The passenger was able to board the plane just as it was closing, praising Ryanair for keeping the gate open as long as possible. She said she did not blame the airline for the disruption.
A spokesperson for Ryanair confirmed the incident to The Independent, stating: “Due to delays caused by border control staff shortages at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport on 30 May, a number of passengers booked to travel from Toulouse to London Stansted were not in the boarding gate area when boarding for their flight closed and missed their flight from Toulouse to London Stansted.
“All passengers that were at the boarding gate when this flight from Toulouse to London Stansted boarded were accommodated and travelled without incident.”
The UK’s Civil Aviation Administration says that if you miss a flight due to a long queue at the airport, even though you arrived at the airport on time, it is unlikely that an airline would pay compensation or consider itself obliged to offer you a free alternative flight.
The Independent has contacted Toulouse Airport for comment.
