Dozens of passengers were left stranded at Vigo’s Peinador Airport overnight on Monday. Their Ryanair flight to Barcelona, scheduled to depart at 11.30 pm, was severely delayed. The flight finally took off after noon the following day, leaving passengers frustrated and without proper assistance for over 12 hours.
Passengers expected to board Ryanair flight FR7512 late Monday night but faced multiple delays, initially hoping for a revised departure at 1.20 am. However, as the night dragged on, the situation deteriorated. “They took us to the boarding gate, but we were left there for over half an hour without any explanation,” recounted Carlos Martínez in Faro de Vigo. He was one of the affected passengers. He expressed frustration at losing a workday in Barcelona due to the delay.
No accommodation or food provided
As the night wore on, passengers were informed that the flight had been cancelled. Ryanair sent out a message advising travellers to “organise their own accommodation,” citing a lack of available rooms near the airport. Many, including elderly passengers and families with children, were left without options, as the airport closes overnight. Despite requests, Ryanair did not provide hotel arrangements or food. Some passengers received a food voucher worth €4, but when they arrived in Barcelona, the voucher was deemed invalid.
Anger builds among passengers
The situation only worsened on Tuesday morning. Passengers were informed that the flight, which was rescheduled for 10.00 am, would be delayed further. When the crew finally arrived at 10.00 am, they were met with sarcastic applause from the frustrated crowd. However, the aircraft still didn’t take off. Passengers were told they would need to wait another 15 minutes for an engineer to arrive. This sparked vocal protests from those who had been waiting all night without adequate support.
Ryanair’s response
In a statement, Ryanair blamed a “minor technical issue” for the delay. Furthermore, the airline claimed passengers had been notified via email and SMS. They added that it attempted to secure accommodation but due to limited availability, passengers were advised to arrange their own and claim expenses later. The flight eventually departed at 12.20 pm, more than 12 hours after the original departure time.
Growing discontent
Many passengers took to social media to voice their dissatisfaction with Ryanair’s handling of the situation, calling out the lack of communication and support. The delay, compounded by the airline’s failure to provide essentials like food, water, or accommodation, has led to widespread frustration.
Ryanair’s rate of delays
Ryanair, despite being known as a low-cost airline, does not have the highest rate of delays or cancellations in Spain. According to a recent report, Ryanair recorded a 0.55% cancellation rate and a 17% delay rate on its flights. This is relatively low compared to other airlines. For instance, Vueling had a 0.7% cancellation rate and 12.2% of its flights were delayed. Iberia, on the other hand, reported just 0.06% cancellations and an 11.54% delay rate. Although Ryanair experiences a higher percentage of delays than Vueling and Iberia, its cancellation rate remains comparatively low. Overall, low-cost airlines like Ryanair tend to operate more flights, which can result in a higher number of incidents. However, they continue to strive to minimise delays and cancellations in order to stay competitive.
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