More than 100 passengers were booked onto the cancelled flight from Enfidha-Hamamet Airport to Belfast International Airport. The flight was due to leave four days before the airline eventually arranged alternative flights for passengers in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Among those affected was Lorraine Molloy, who had been holidaying in Tunisia with her husband. She said the disruption had been “awful” and had left the couple thousands of pounds out of pocket.
According to Molloy, passengers were initially told there were no alternative EasyJet flights available for another 10 days.
She also criticised the airline for what she described as a lack of communication during the disruption.
“I haven't had one email from them,” she said, adding that EasyJet told passengers “nothing”.
“The staff just kept walking by. We asked questions, we got no answers.
“I was left to source everything myself, apart from the help of the group.”
Passengers eventually created a WhatsApp group to exchange information, advice and updates among themselves. Molloy said she “would have been lost” without the support of the group.
Concerns over technical problems
Molloy said the captain had told passengers that the aircraft had experienced technical difficulties, adding to her anxiety about travelling home.
“I wanted to come home but at the same time I didn't want to be put on a plane that I was unsure if it was safe or not,” she said.
The accommodation arranged during the disruption also became a source of frustration.
Molloy described her hotel room as “a dungeon”, saying: “When I went into that room, I just cried my eyes out.”
EasyJet said no problems with the hotel accommodation had been reported to its team, but added that it would investigate any concerns raised with its hotel provider.
The passenger said she was now “happy and relieved to be home”, although she remained worried about the financial impact of the cancellation.
“We need that money back.”
EasyJet said it would “reimburse customers for expenses they may have incurred as a result of the cancellation”.
Family says airport confusion added to stress
Another passenger, Natalija Dovbijenko, was travelling with her husband and child. She also raised concerns about the accommodation provided, claiming it was not clean and that some of the bathroom facilities did not work.
For Dovbijenko and her family, the difficulties continued even after an alternative flight had been arranged.
“When we arrived in the airport, the staff from EasyJet couldn't find us, they said we weren't registered for the flight,” she said.
“A lot of people started panicking, somebody started crying, screaming, because people were stressed.”
EasyJet disputed the suggestion that passengers were unable to secure seats, saying that “all customers who wanted to travel on yesterday's flight were booked on”.
The airline said it had proactively contacted passengers with instructions on how to book onto the replacement flight for free. It also said people who arrived at the airport without having booked were provided with seats.
A dedicated telephone number was also made available to passengers who required further assistance.
However, Dovbijenko said passengers were still left unclear about what was happening and felt that airline staff themselves did “not know anything” about the flight.
“We were just sitting in the airport, beside the gate, without any information.
“You have to communicate with the people. You have to treat us as people, not as animals. They literally just treat us as animals. Nothing was organised.
“Please talk to us, just give us some information.”
EasyJet apologises to affected passengers
EasyJet said the “welfare of our customers is our highest priority” and apologised for the difficulties experienced by passengers.
The airline said it had “did all we could” to support those affected, including providing hotel accommodation, meals and alternative flight options.
It also said it arranged onward transfers home for passengers who needed them after the Wednesday morning flight.
While the affected passengers have now begun their journeys home, the disruption has left some facing additional expenses and seeking reimbursement from the airline.
For Molloy, the immediate relief of finally returning home has been tempered by the financial and emotional toll of the experience, which she described as one of the most difficult parts of what was supposed to be a holiday.