Around 20 passengers were left stranded at Carcassonne airport after Ryanair flight FR8024, operated by Boeing 737-800 registered EI-EVH, departed for Brussels South Charleroi on November 24. Some of these travellers were headed for critical events, like a mother taking her son for cancer treatment and another woman on her way to her daughter’s wedding.
Passengers criticised the airport’s organisation, claiming they were on time and blaming security delays and airport staff behaviour for missing the flight.
Ryanair initially attributed the incident to passengers arriving late but later mentioned “security delays.” The affected travellers recounted instances of inefficiency during security checks, including repeated requests to remove shoes and time wastage. Despite arriving on time, these passengers were barred from boarding.
Ryanair defended its position, stating that the plane departed as scheduled and passengers are responsible for being at the gate on time. They cited standard boarding procedures and highlighted that 150 passengers boarded the flight on time.
The airline also mentioned that security delays at the airport caused some passengers to miss the flight, suggesting that prohibited items in luggage, such as perfumes over 100ml, contributed to the issues. Ryanair assured that the stranded passengers were assisted in booking the next available flight to Brussels Charleroi from Carcassonne.