Hundreds of Ryanair passengers en route to Dublin were forced to make alternative travel arrangements yesterday when more than 30 flights from London Stansted airport were unexpectedly cancelled.
Almost 700 passengers booked on four Ryanair flights destined for Dublin were forced to seek alternative flights due to the knock-on effect of the airport closing on Monday night for work on its runway lights.
Those checked-in passengers waiting to board the FR225 to Dublin at 4pm yesterday were informed that their flight had been cancelled only when they returned from the gate to the departure area.
One passenger told how the screens detailing flight times had signalled that the flight to Dublin was on time and boarding, before suddenly disappearing off the screen. He claimed that Ryanair failed to approach passengers to explain its sudden cancellation.
Passengers were later advised to either write to Ryanair seeking a refund or to claim a free flight. Alternatively, passengers could book a flight online for free.
A Ryanair spokesman said that passengers whose flights had been cancelled were accommodated on flights from Gatwick and Luton airports or on later flights from Stansted.