A Ryanair flight from Manchester to Nantes was diverted to Tours Val de Loire Airport on Wednesday afternoon, leaving passengers stranded for hours. The flight, which departed 35 minutes late, circled Nantes for around 30 minutes before the pilot announced a diversion due to weather conditions.
Passengers reported being left without information or assistance from Ryanair representatives. Sharon Norton, who was travelling with her husband, described the situation as 'desperate'. 'We arrived there, there was roughly 170 people, including disabled people and children. We were there from 3.15 until 8.45pm,' she said.
Ryanair arranged coaches to transport passengers to Nantes, but many faced further difficulties. Some had pre-booked car hire or accommodation, but by the time they arrived, car hire kiosks had closed and hotels were fully booked. Alex Logen, another passenger, said: 'We have nowhere to stay tonight as we had another 100 miles to go. As it stands, rough sleeping.'
Passengers criticised the lack of communication and support. 'There were no vouchers and no other communication,' Norton added. 'People have lost money, accommodation and hire cars, it's disgusting.' The airline has not yet commented on the incident.
