Passengers despair over lack of response from Ryanair.
The chaos at Madeira International Airport – Cristiano Ronaldo, following the cancelled flights, has left passengers, mainly from Ryanair, in despair due to the lack of response and a quick solution in rescheduling cancelled trips.
A passenger told DIÁRIO that she was supposed to travel back to Lisbon last Sunday at 8 pm, but at 11:45 am she was informed, via message, that the flight had been cancelled. “We went to the counter and there were two rescue flights, one to Porto and one to Lisbon, but they were already full”, Vânia Jesus began by saying, adding that the solution presented would be a flight only for 29 August.
Vânia, who is from Madeira but lives on the mainland, said that she had been “putting it off” to see if the airline would make more flights available to solve the problem, but so far no new solution has been presented. “With the amount of people, complaints, and the endless queues here, I really thought there would be more rescue flights, but they wouldn’t budge in any way.”
She also says that she has been going to the airport every day in the hope of finding a new solution, explaining that the airline has not provided accommodation or meals to the affected passengers. “They have not provided anything. Just yesterday a lady told me that on delayed flights we are still entitled to meals, but on cancelled flights we are not entitled to anything.”
“I’ve been coming here every day. Yesterday I was here for five hours in line, since 5:30 pm. There was a huge line and only one person at the counter. I was only served at 10 pm and at that time there was another crowd because there was another cancellation.”
The option presented by the low-cost airline to this passenger was unviable for her, so she looked for other airlines to be able to return home. “I got a ticket with easyJet for the 26th of August. A trip for three people, one way, 1,200 euros. This is unthinkable”, she says.
There are several reports on social media of similar situations, where people are in despair. Tempers flared, and members of the Public Security Police had to be called to the scene. “People are angry because they are not offering any solution. They are not giving them any alternatives,” the passenger confessed.
Contacted by DIÁRIO regarding this situation, Ryanair did not respond directly to any of the questions asked, referring to the following ‘ link ‘ on the airline’s website.
“Affected passengers will be notified and any passengers travelling to/from Madeira Funchal on 20th August should check their Ryanair app for the latest updates on their flight. We regret any inconvenience caused to passengers by these weather conditions, which are beyond Ryanair’s control and affect all airlines operating to/from Madeira Funchal on 20th August,” reads the airline’s website.
In turn, ANA Aeroportos informed Lusa that the airport is already “fully operating”.