EasyJet cancelled flight from Enfidha to Belfast after passengers had already completed the normal departure process on Saturday night and waited more than two hours. More than 100 people were left stranded in Tunisia, including families from Northern Ireland trying to get back to Belfast International.
EasyJet said it was operating an additional direct flight to Belfast on Tuesday night. The airline said it was very sorry for the inconvenience, after passengers had already faced days of disruption and had been moved out of the airport in the early hours of Sunday morning.
News NI understood that more than 100 people were booked onto the flight from Enfidha-Hamamet Airport to Belfast International three days ago. Passengers were taken through the airport in the early hours of Sunday morning and transported by bus to separate hotels after the cancellation.
Stuart McCartney in Tunisia
Stuart McCartney, from Dromore in County Down, said he had spent £4,000 to get his family of five home. He said, “I'm willing to pay £4,000 to get us home, if needs be, and then battle for reimbursement if I have to after that,” and added, “But we shouldn't have to pay. My holiday was a fraction of what I'm paying to get home right now.”
Mr McCartney also said EasyJet provided two nights of accommodation and then told the family to find alternative accommodation for the rest of the delay. He said his mother, Katherine, relies on heart medication, which made the wait harder for the family.
Georgina Doherty and six children
Georgina Doherty, originally from Londonderry and living in County Donegal, said she and her six children were trying to get home after the death of her mother-in-law. Doherty described the last few days as an “absolute nightmare”, a plain account of the pressure facing families caught in the cancellation.
The cancellation came after the pilot told passengers the aircraft had a number of technical problems, including an issue affecting its steering. EasyJet later said it was doing everything it could to support Mr McCartney, while passengers said they were criticising the airline over a lack of support and communication.
Tuesday night flight
EasyJet’s additional direct flight to Belfast on Tuesday night gives stranded passengers a route home, but it does not erase the extra nights in Tunisia, the hotel costs or the pressure on families waiting for medicines and support. For passengers still there, the immediate question is whether they are already on the replacement service or still waiting for a separate travel plan from the airline.
