A Ryanair passenger recounts his ordeal after an unexpected landing at Liège airport, Belgium

Passengers traveling from Bergamo, Italy to Paris-Beauvais airport in France on Thursday, August 15th, were in for a nasty surprise. Ryanair flight FR4231, which was supposed to depart in the evening from Bergamo, near Milan, was delayed due to a shortage of air traffic control staff, according to France Bleu.

Although the plane, a Boeing 737-800 (registered 9H-QAR) eventually took off, the landing was more problematic. Due to a curfew in effect at Paris-Beauvais airport, the aircraft had to find another landing site. Liège, Belgium was chosen as the alternative.

While Ryanair arranged a shuttle service to transport passengers from Liège to Beauvais, not everyone was able to take advantage of it. A passenger told France Bleu that her partner had to drive three hours each way to pick her up. They then had to make the return journey together. “We had a sleepless night,” she said.

Ryanair apologized for the inconvenience and informed passengers who had to make their own arrangements that they would be reimbursed for their transportation, provided they could show a receipt.