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Scottish police called to calm and feed rioting Ryanair passengers
Once again, Irish low cost carrier Ryanair is in the news with a story involving passenger mistreatment. Yesterday, police were called to assist in calming 168 passengers on a Ryanair plane at Prestwick airport in the UK. The plane was bound for Girona, Spain, but had been stuck on the ground for six hours.
With a wait of that length, the passengers were naturally becoming quite annoyed, but to make matters worse, the flight crew were not willing/able to serve any food or drinks. Because of EU tax laws, the bar carts on the plane are sealed until the plane is airborne, which meant passengers would have to sit the wait out without anything to drink.
Since Ryanair is a pay-for-everything airline, passengers are not allowed to bring their own food or drinks on board, and at the six hour mark, this proved to be too much, and some passengers began to riot. When local police arrived, they didn't arrest anyone, and did the right thing - they went into the airport and purchased water and chocolate for the agitated passengers.
Ryanair apologized for the incident, blaming striking French air traffic controllers for the delay. Still, it may be a good idea to stock an unsealed bar tray on their planes, because keeping passengers locked on board a plane for six hours without anything to eat or drink takes customer service to new lows. Then again, Ryanair does seem to excel in finding those lows whenever they can.
[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
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Filed under: Europe, United Kingdom, Airlines, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Maxx Jun 25th 2010 2:16PM
They should have rocked that plane until the wheels fell OFF, or something BROKE!
Simzee Jun 25th 2010 3:01PM
These are the same passengers that COMPLAIN to no end about the faults of the airlines. They deserve EVERYTHING they get for flying.
Whodunit Jun 25th 2010 6:01PM
@ Maxx - I read blogs, but your comment is way too funny. I had a good laugh!!
turkish82 Jun 25th 2010 2:20PM
These airlines need to start thinking of customers instead of profits. I can understand the policy about the carts under NORMAL circumstances, but when unforeseen problems occur, there needs to be a plan in place for keeping people reasonably comfortable. After all, THEY pay to keep you in business, THEIR money is the reason that plane took off in the first place, so stop treating them like cattle and more like human beings. And I applaud the rioting passengers for being able to say enough is enough; I don't think I could have lasted six hours.
MTM Jun 25th 2010 2:27PM
Why do airlines think they can hold us hostage?
Marshall Jun 25th 2010 3:12PM
Liability issues probably. But then,which airlines are you talking about here? If you
for example were allowed off the plane ,but the airline decided to leave you in France,
then what? see what I am getting at? It is pretty screwy out there. Unorganized to
say the least.
jay Jun 25th 2010 2:27PM
You have got to be kidding me. The cops really went and got water and chocolate for passengers that rioted to help calm people down.
Wow!!!......could we ever use some lesons for our police here in the USA.
Had this flight been here in America and a riot broken out everyone would have been arrested for attempted terrorism and then would have spent years in jail.
But what does one expect from a know it all country that leads the world in prison confinement.
As for Ryan Air......it really needs to be put out of business!
Dunk Jun 25th 2010 4:06PM
Jay, you can always take your sorry ass out of this country if you don't like it here. Maybe the place you move to won't have as many prisoners because they just 'liquidate' people. Maybe having a large prison population here is a good thing, instead of having them loose on the streets.
John S-B Jun 25th 2010 5:59PM
How do you know that cops would arrest everyone here? Liberals like to blame the cops for everything. As for criminals in jail, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. For a lot of people, holding them on a plane for six hours with nothing to drink could be a health risk. Some people need to take medication regularly, some which you have to take with food or water. Not to mention dehydration. I was stuck on a plane for over 3 hours once in Chicago along with about 8 other planes because of weather. They have weather radar, so they should know how long the weather will ground the flights. There is no reason they can't taxi the planes back to the terminal and hold the passengers at the gates so they can use the bathroom and get something to eat. This situation could be life threatening for a Diabetic. I'd riot too.
Kathy Jun 25th 2010 2:39PM
Whenever this happens, there is a bureaucratic response by airlines / terminals / security - even if they are the last person at the airport and leaving the plane to sit overnight. This is just nonsense, and shows how stupid the people "in charge" are. How would they like to be imprisoned on an aircraft for six hours BEFORE takeoff? Without anything to drink or eat, not even able to carry on food from the terminal? Why would they do this to people? But they do, time and again. They should be prepared to take care of passengers, wherever they are, and they should keep them informed of exactly what is happening, and any changes.
LARRY Jun 25th 2010 5:11PM
Kathy, Did you ever hear that you pay what you get for ?, This is a cheap airline they don"t roll out the red carpet for people.
tom Jun 25th 2010 2:38PM
This won't happen any longer in the USA....after so many hours, in order to avoid huge fines, your flight will go back to the gate and 99% likely cancel. You'll be able to get to your destination next week sometime, cause all the flights are full. No one likes to keep passengers hostage....gotta remember..EU rules are totally different than US rules. I am surprised though that they didn't even offer the customers water!
Kel Jun 25th 2010 2:45PM
Ryan Air, just remember this is the airline that MANY Us Airlines look at as a model, trendssetter. The passengers were more than right to revolt in this case.
Insanity Jun 25th 2010 2:46PM
I can't stand being confined. I would literally go insane.
Tuula Jun 25th 2010 2:52PM
Who does the USA news always get everything wrong... read the Observer, Daily Mirror or Daily Express, it was not 6 hrs waiting, but 4 hrs, all got chocolates and drinks, there was no riot on the plane.
qq4lbfm Jun 25th 2010 3:31PM
Do you work for the airline? lol
Cavinue Jul 10th 2010 10:05AM
As one of the unfortunate passengers on that flight I can perhaps fill in a few of the details.
The flight in question was the 2pm Prestwick (Glasgow) to Girona.
After boarding the plane we were advised by the chief steward that the flight would be delayed until 3pm. Then we were told it would be 5pm, and finally 8.30pm.
It was at this point that several passengers, many with small children, asked about refreshments i.e. water.
The cabin crew contacted both the local Ryanair controller and their HQ in Dublin, and were told that no refreshments would to be provided.
To add insult to injury we were told that passengers were free to leave the plane, but that we would be refused entry back on again and our tickets would be void, meaning that we would need to pay for new tickets again.
Although there were some harsh words spoken about Ryanair, no one verbally abused the cabin crew who in fairness were just as anxious as we were to try and get some refreshments. However, there was no riot and the police didn't need to warn any passengers about their behaviour (at least I didn't see anything).
However, what did cause a real rumpus was when a member of Ryanair's ground crew tried to sneak on a 2 litre bottle of water for the cockpit crew. Even the police officer at the door said that such a move was unhelpful and pretty stupid.
We were also told by one member of the cabin crew that the reason for Ryanair wanting to keep everyone on the plane was because if we disembarked and returned to the terminal then Ryanair would have had to provide free refreshments as per the EU rules pertaining to delayed flights. However, by keeping us on the plane the company was not liable as, in the view of Ryanair, the law only related to passengers still within the terminal building and not those already on the plane.
I suspect that the EU Comissioners may take a different view on that one.
Anyway, the plane finally took off shortly after 7.30pm although when the trolley service did finally open there was very little available anyway due to the incomming flight being late (I have no idea what the chief steward meant by that statement. I can only assume that Ryanair transfers any remaining food between planes ?)
Terry Jun 25th 2010 3:03PM
While it is ridiculous that they were left 6 hours with out food or drink, I don't think adding alcohol to to problem would have helped the situation.
Scott Carmichael Jun 25th 2010 3:05PM
The bar carts also hold water and soft drinks - I can understand not wanting to serve alcohol, but to lack access to water is just plain silly.
MAGOOS Jun 25th 2010 3:26PM
There is nothing more humiliating and disgusting than travelling on planes owned by modern carriers. Germ ridden tubes with totally inadequate seating arrangements, laughable toilet facilities and often arrogant and pedantic cabin staff all mix to make flying the ultra nightmare of today. The carriers nickel and dime everyone, imposing charges which are an insult to humanity. Ryanair is a mediocre carrier; that its passengers became unsettled does not surprise me when they are denied food and water. Internationally, carriers should be BANNED from holding passengers at all; no fly no sit rules are needed now. To do this, carriers need to accept that even their crews hate being confined like sheep and airports should have reserved gates to disembark passengers when a plane cannot fly.