Police boarded Edinburgh-Alicante plane after passengers disembarked 'without proper authorisation'

Police boarded a plane at Edinburgh Airport after passengers disembarked without getting permission from the crew - after being told they faced a three hour wait.
Pictures show police on board the Ryanair aircraft at Edinburgh Airport. Pic: contributedPictures show police on board the Ryanair aircraft at Edinburgh Airport. Pic: contributed
Pictures show police on board the Ryanair aircraft at Edinburgh Airport. Pic: contributed

The Ryanair flight was due to depart for south-east Spain just before 5pm yesterday but was later cancelled due to ongoing French air traffic control strikes.

However one passenger on board, Lorraine Grandison, said passengers had already boarded the aircraft before being told they would face a delay of up to three hours.

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Ryanair has today confirmed the flight was cancelled because of the strikes, but the airline refused to provide an explanation on why passengers were not told about the lengthy delay before boarding.

Lorraine said passengers were allowed to return to the terminal after waiting for nearly three hours. She said some people were understandably displeased about not being told earlier but stressed she saw nobody behaving disruptively or talking unacceptably to the air stewards.

In a statement released today, a police spokesman said: "Police at Edinburgh Airport attended at a delayed flight, which was sitting on the runway at around 6.45pm on Thursday 9th May after a number of passengers disembarked without proper authorisation.

"All the passengers were spoken to and given appropriate advice.

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"The flight was subsequently cancelled and officers remained in attendance while all passengers disembarked and visited the service desk to arrange an alternative flight or appropriate accommodation.

"No one was arrested and no reports of disorder were made by any of the flight crew."

But Ryanair said the flight crew contacted police "after several passengers became disruptive."

However Lorraine, who was part of a group of nine women heading to Benidorm for a 60th birthday celebration, said she only saw passengers talking calmly to the crew about the situation.

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The 65-year-old civil servant, who lives in the Broomhouse area of Edinburgh, also strenuously denies previous claims by another passenger that police were called because of a 'rowdy hen party' on board. She said: "I can assure you there was not one of us who even spoke to a policeman or were rowdy."

Her daughter, Arlene Douglas, said she heard one man near the front of the plane telling crew he needed to get off the plane because he is diabetic.

Lorraine said she and her friends are hopeful of getting another weekend booked to Benidorm in the near future.

A Ryanair spokeswoman said: "The crew of this flight from Edinburgh to Alicante (9 May) contacted police after several passengers became disruptive.

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"The flight was regrettably delayed, and then cancelled ahead of take-off due to an ongoing French Air Traffic Control strike.

"Affected customers were advised of their options of a free move or refund. Ryanair sincerely apologised for this cancellation due to the French ATC strike, which was completely beyond our control."