A group of wheelchair passengers were stranded on an airport runway after their EasyJet flight departed without them onboard.
While speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, author Liz Weir said she had arrived at the Belfast International Airport on Friday, June 21, ready for her flight to Edinburgh when her trip was derailed.
Weir shared that she was using a wheelchair due to a heart condition. She said she was greeted by a woman in a “high-viz jacket” who took her and another wheelchair passenger to the runway as her flight began to board.
The wheelchair passengers allegedly waited for everyone to get onboard the plane before attempting to get on board. However, Weir said things didn’t go as planned.
“[I] thought it was our turn next,” she said. “But then the steps were taken away from the plane and they closed the doors.”
Weir, who was expected to speak at an event in Edinburgh, said the situation quickly turned stressful. “I’m in my seventies, I have a heart condition, and I do not need the stress – and trust me, when you see your plane reversing without you on it, it is very stressful.”
Recalling what happened next, Weir said, “We were sitting there waving and screaming to the pilot. But he shook his head to say no and just kept moving off with my suitcase in the hold.”
To make matters worse, the flight then departed with the wheelchair passengers’ luggage.
The Wheelchair Passengers Were Able to Get to Edinburgh Hours Later
Following the confusing runway incident, the wheelchair passengers were able to get to Edinburgh hours later.
Weir took to X (formerly Twitter) to share that she was able to get on another flight. “Trying again on a flight leaving at 8 50,” she wrote. “It’s bad enough when a bus leaves you at the stop but when a jet leaves you on the tarmac…. How often do people say ‘they won’t go without us!’ Except they did!”
EasyJet released a statement to PEOPLE about the situation. “We are very sorry that flight EZY55 from Belfast to Edinburgh on 21 June departed without three passengers who were being accompanied by the airport’s special assistance provider.”
“This was due to a misunderstanding by our ground handling team and crew onboard,” the company wrote.
The airline company then continued by sharing how it accommodated the passengers. “We did all possible to assist the passengers, arranging for flights to Glasgow and Edinburgh later that evening to get them to their destination as quickly as possible and our team looked after them throughout, providing refreshment vouchers while they waited for their new flight.”
EasyJet concluded its statement by adding, “We are sorry for the impact this disruption will have had on their plans and are in contact with them to apologise for their experience, reimburse their flights and any expenses incurred as a result of the delay, and provide the compensation they are due.”