Passengers aboard a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 spent almost eight hours travelling across Europe on Saturday, 24 October, only to return to their original departure airport in Spain. Flight FR2954, registration 9H-QDK, was scheduled to fly from Alicante to Cornwall Newquay Airport, but severe weather associated with Storm Austen prevented the aircraft from landing in southwest England.
The aircraft departed Alicante at around 18:36 local time, approximately an hour behind schedule. After approaching Newquay, the crew abandoned the landing due to strong winds and diverted to Dublin, where the aircraft landed at around 20:52 local time. Passengers remained on board while Ryanair arranged a revised plan. At around 22:34, the aircraft departed Dublin as flight FR2955, bound for Bristol, from where passengers were expected to continue their journey to Cornwall by bus.
However, weather conditions also prevented the aircraft from landing at Bristol. The crew subsequently turned back towards Alicante, where the Boeing 737 landed at approximately 02:15 on Sunday, 25 October. The aircraft had travelled between Spain, Ireland and England without delivering its passengers to their intended destination. According to media reports, passengers were accommodated in a hotel following their return to Spain.
The aircraft’s return to Alicante also allowed Ryanair to reposition it at its operating base ahead of subsequent scheduled services.
Sources: PYOK, One Mile at a Time, aeroTELEGRAPH and flight-tracking data.