More than 200 easyJet passengers were left waiting for ten hours for a flight home from Morocco, only to receive an email informing them of its cancellation. The travellers were attempting to return to the UK from Marrakesh Menara Airport when a technical issue grounded their aircraft on Wednesday, June 10.
Passengers Stranded in Morocco
Hundreds of easyJet customers have been left stranded in Morocco after a fault forced the cancellation of their journey home. The passengers, who were due to return to the UK, will now remain in North Africa for an additional night. Adam Ramouz, from Salford, was among those expecting to fly back to Manchester Airport on Wednesday. He described watching his transport home being towed away as he waited to board.
The 35-year-old explained that the flight was already running late when it landed two hours behind its scheduled departure time of 10:40 am. Once passengers disembarked, Adam and his fellow travellers prepared to board, only to be held for another two hours before the aircraft was removed. Adam said it was not until late afternoon that they received notification of the cancellation, nearly ten hours after the initial delay.
He commented: "They called us to get up and we were stood for maybe two hours then we watched the plane get tugged away. It's just disappointing, the lack of communication. There was barely anybody to speak to at the airport. Everyone was wondering what to do."
Accommodation Arrangements Cause Confusion
Passengers were provided with temporary accommodation, but Adam claims the arrangement created confusion, leaving some families without rooms and worried about returning home to their commitments. "Everybody has got their lives to get back to," said Adam, who was in Morocco for a three-day getaway with his partner. "I've got work tomorrow, my partner's got work tomorrow. I'm a full-time carer for my mother. We've had to call on family to look after my mother. There's something like 235 people who are stuck here. Over 200 people were trying to get information from one easyJet rep after we got the email."
EasyJet's Response
EasyJet stated that passengers are scheduled to return on Thursday, June 11. A spokesperson said: "Due to a technical issue with the aircraft on its previous flight, flight EZY2294 from Marrakech to Manchester has been rescheduled to operate tomorrow due to the impact of the delay on the crews' safety regulated hours. We are doing everything possible to minimise the disruption, including providing hotel accommodation and meals for those who require them. The safety and wellbeing of its passengers and crew is easyJet's highest priority and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturers' guidelines. We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the delay and thank our customers for their understanding."
