Passenger Criticizes Ryanair After Flight Diversion Strands Travelers in France
A passenger expressed frustration towards Ryanair, stating that individuals were left in a “desperate” situation following a flight diversion that led to being stuck at an airport in France.
The flight from Manchester to Nantes, operated by Ryanair, was redirected to Tours Val de Loire Airport on a Wednesday afternoon. Passengers reported enduring hours of uncertainty before being transferred by coaches to Nantes later that evening.
Several passengers had onward travel plans and had arranged for rental vehicles, but upon arrival, they found that the car hire facilities had closed, leaving them with no accommodation options for the night.
According to some passengers, the flight encountered delays during takeoff from Manchester and circled around Nantes for approximately 30 minutes before the decision was made to divert to Tours due to adverse weather conditions. The journey by road from Tours to Nantes took around two hours.
Sharon Norton, who traveled with her husband, highlighted the lack of assistance from Ryanair representatives at the airport. She mentioned the delayed departure, circling near Nantes, and the subsequent diversion to Tours, where passengers were left stranded from mid-afternoon until late evening.
After a prolonged wait, Ryanair eventually informed passengers about the arrangement of coaches to transport them back to Nantes, resulting in a significant delay compared to the original schedule. While Sharon was able to proceed to a pre-booked accommodation, many others were left without options for the night.
One passenger, Alex Logen, shared concerns about the unavailability of accommodation options in Nantes, indicating that the plan for the night seemed to involve “rough sleeping.” Despite having a hire car reserved for pickup in Nantes, the closure of the car hire kiosk upon their arrival posed a challenge.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar showed the aircraft’s route from Manchester, passing over the English Channel, circling above Nantes before diverting to Tours.
Ryanair has been contacted by Mirror for comments on the incident.