A disgruntled Renfrew resident has told how she waited 40 minutes in a plan on the runway at Glasgow Airport after a delayed EasyJet flight.
Sarah Welsh was due to leave London Luton – the home of EasyJet - on Monday morning on a flight into Glasgow Airport.
Sarah, claims her flight was delayed by more than twenty minutes, and when they aircraft touched down at Glasgow, passengers were told “to sit back down” as there wasn’t “enough staff to get passengers off the plane.”
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The 25-year-old told us: “Monday morning flights from London to Glasgow are always busy, and most people understand that.
“But to have a flight delayed by more than twenty or thirty minutes and then have passengers stuck on the plane for 40minutes after it’s landed, sitting on the runway is a bit of a joke.
“If domestic flights aren’t leaving from Luton on time, then there’s no hope.”
Sarah, added: “Once we landed, everyone got their bags from the overhead lockers and there was a little wait like normal.
“But then the pilot came on over the radio and told us all to sit back down as there wasn’t enough ground staff to let us off of the plane and he expected us to be waiting quite some time.
“And it’s a pity because people blame the airports for this, but it’s EasyJets fault for not having the staff.
“It’s a joke that this far after lockdown, the weekend after the Queen’s Jubilee and with the summer holidays coming up that these airline haven’t got their finger out and sorted the staffing crisis.
“It’s a joke.”
Sarah also claims that once off of the plane, there was lengthy queues “about a mile long” to get onto an airport bus.
She added: “After there being no ground staff to get us off the plane, there was another 40minute queue to get an airport bus.
“The queue was snaked round in a zig-zag and it was about a mile long.
“It was all a nuisance and such a waste of everyone’s time.”
A spokesman for Glasgow Airport told us that the airport is busier than it has been in recent years but it isn’t facing the disruption seen in airports down south.
He said: “Our airports are busier than they have been for more than two years as we continue our recovery. It is important to make clear that we have not faced the level of disruption seen across other parts of the UK.
“While average queue times are longer than they were pre-pandemic, they are managed well by our teams and passengers are moving at a steady pace and are all getting away on their flights.”
The spokesperson said many passengers haven’t flown for a long period and should refresh their memories on all preparations needed at airports, which can ease delays.
He added: “We completely understand that our passengers are concerned because they are keen to get away for a well-earned holiday in the sun following such a long, unpredictable and difficult couple of years. We want to reassure them our teams are working incredibly hard to make sure they continue to make their flights.
“As we approach the peak summer period, we would ask our passengers not to panic, to arrive prepared for their journey and to show patience and understanding to our staff who will help them get on their way.”
The best way to keep up to date on the status of your easyJet flight with real-time information, is via easyJet’s Flight Tracker. This can also be accessed via their mobile app.
If your flight is more than two days in advance, sign in by using your booking reference and last name or your account details.
The Paisley Daily Express contacted EasyJet for comment.
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