A 71-year-old woman with mobility issues was left stranded at Bristol Airport after her EasyJet flight departed without her and five other passengers who were waiting in an accessibility lounge.
Liz Igoe, who uses a walking stick, arrived at the airport at 16:25 GMT for the 18:25 flight to Porto on Sunday. The group was taken by coach to the aircraft in thick fog, but after waiting on the coach for around 45 minutes, they were returned to the gate without being told the plane had already departed.
Ms Igoe only realised the flight had left when she checked the information board hours later. She described the experience as “very, very stressful and very upsetting” and questioned how the airline could not have noticed six missing passengers.
Both EasyJet and Bristol Airport have launched investigations into the incident. An EasyJet spokesperson said the airline had “urgently raised” the matter with its special assistance provider and arranged overnight accommodation and alternative flights for the stranded passengers.
Ms Igoe eventually arrived in Porto on a Ryanair flight on Monday afternoon. Bristol Airport said it would work with the assistance provider to ensure improvements are made for the future.
