Holidaymakers were left stranded in Manchester after their flights were diverted when Bristol Airport was suddenly closed. Flights coming in and out of Bristol Airport were suspended due to a 'defect' on the runway on Friday evening (August 7).
Passenger's Ordeal
One affected passenger, TikToker and business owner Luke Arnel-Cameron, posted a clip to his 1.2 million followers showing the moment he and his partner, Dan, landed in Manchester during the early hours of Saturday morning after their Jet2 flight from Turkey was rerouted.
In the clip, Luke says: "We were meant to fly to Bristol and we've landed in Manchester. And now we've got to find our way home." He added that Jet2 provided an Uber voucher, but noted: "But we've now got to find a willing Uber to take us all the way down south at half-past three on a Saturday morning."
Luke eventually made it home to Gloucester and released two more videos regarding the journey, which he described as a 'flight from hell.' In one clip, he posted the moment fellow passengers were given the news of the diversion, and in a separate post he praised Jet2 staff for their professionalism and support throughout the ordeal.
Other Flight Disruptions
Gabrielle Butler was on board a TUI flight headed to Morocco when she was told they'd be taken back to the stands at the airport. From her window, footage captured at around 6.15pm showed crews in hi-vis on the runway with tools. Some flights were cancelled while others were redirected. Those affected are asked to contact their airlines.
Gabrielle said her plane sat on the tarmac from around 5.15pm until around 7pm – with her flight cancelled and rebooked for 8pm on Saturday.
Airport Response
Bristol Airport said it made the decision to suspend operations due to a 'defect' affecting the airport's single runway, which was 'repaired and cured overnight'.
A spokesperson said: "We're very sorry to customers affected and any impact this has had to their summer holiday. We continue to work closely with all airlines affected. The safety of passengers and staff is of paramount importance, which is why we made the decision to temporarily suspend flights as a precaution and to allow for the runway repair to be carried out."
