Spanish media outlets have reported a rather unusual incident involving a Ryanair flight scheduled to depart from France to Marrakech, which left dozens of passengers stranded. The reason for this unexpected turn of events was the complete absence of all security personnel responsible for passenger screening and boarding due to illness. This unfortunate situation affected a total of 192 passengers at the Vatry Airport in Marne, France, as there was no staff available to manage the boarding process.
According to information provided by the responsible security company, Securus, all employees were on sick leave on the day of the flight. Consequently, the aircraft had to depart for Marrakech with only the crew on board, leaving the passengers behind. The flight, which lasted just over three hours, was completed solely by the airline's personnel, leaving Fabrice Bouquet, the airport facilities manager, astonished. He commented on the situation, stating, “When the check-in desk opened, there was no security team present. We called to find out what was happening and learned that everyone was on sick leave.”
The French airport director further revealed that the security company confirmed it was impossible to dispatch another team before the flight's scheduled departure. This led to the airport management considering potential compensation for the stranded passengers, pointing the responsibility towards Ryanair. Legally, any incurred costs are the operator's liability, who may then seek recourse from the service provider that failed to meet its obligations.
However, the Irish airline has also declined to accept responsibility for compensation, citing its refund policy. Ryanair's regulations stipulate that passengers are not entitled to compensation if a flight is canceled due to reasons beyond the company's control, such as air traffic controller strikes, adverse weather conditions, or unforeseen medical emergencies that could not have been avoided with reasonable measures in place.
As reported by 24saa.com.
