Teens in tears as Aer Lingus cancellations leave them questioning if they'll get home for Christmas

But following a crash-landing at Belfast City Airport involving an Aer Lingus plane, all flights in and out of the airport were cancelled, sparking havoc for many travellers.

By: irishmirror.ie

Dec 25 2024
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Teens in tears as Aer Lingus c

A group of teenagers taking their first trip away without family were left stranded in Edinburgh after their return flight to Belfast was cancelled. Mum of one of the girls, Zoe Stephenson-Gracey, told Belfast Live the 17-year-olds had travelled to the Scottish city for one day to see the Christmas Market with a return flight booked around 9pm on Sunday.

But following a crash-landing at Belfast City Airport involving an Aer Lingus plane, all flights in and out of the airport were cancelled, sparking havoc for many travellers.

While Aer Lingus is understood to have provided Ballyclare girl Grace and six of her pals with a hotel on Sunday night, we were told the airline offered just two of the seven teenagers a new flight home - but not until after Christmas - and £177 (€213) for the other five to pay for alternative transport.

Forced to take matters into their own hands to get their kids home for Christmas, one parent forked out over £800 (€964) for easyjet flights "out of their own pocket to bring them home safely".

Zoe said: "They weren't helpful. They [the teenagers] didn't even find out that Belfast City Airport was closed until the parents were texting. They got sent to different gates - but we knew they wouldn't be flying because Belfast was shut."

When they were finally told their flight was cancelled, Zoe says, "they didn't know where they were going or if they had to stay over, they just got told they couldn't stay in the airport".

"There was a lack of communication from Aer Lingus," she added.

"It was her first weekend away with her friends - there were seven of them and they are only 17. They were just having one night away to do the Christmas market and shopping. It was their first time away without their parents. They got sent to one gate, then another gate and then another. They were asking and saying 'we know the airport is closed' and weren't getting a response. Aer Lingus did put them up in a hotel for the night - but they didn't find that out until about 10pm."

While the airline did offer alternative flights, Zoe said "they were not until after Christmas - imagine seven teenagers sitting in the airport thinking 'we are not getting home for Christmas'.

The girls tried to put on a brave face in the airport as they waited to find out whether they would make it home for Christmas (Image: Submitted)

Zoe's daughter Grace told us: "We got to the airport around 4.30pm because we wanted to get food. One of my friends' mums called and said 'don't stress, but city airport has been closed'. We were panicking. No one said anything in the airport. We went looking for airport staff and kept getting told to look for different people. We couldn't find anyone to help - it was so stressful. We were just wandering around. My friends were literally sobbing. It was so stressful.

"When we finally got hold of them... one woman in front of us broke down crying because she wanted to get home for Christmas and they said they couldn't do anything about it. They didn't say anything about getting any other flights."

While the group of teens were provided with a bus to a hotel, Grace said they had to pay their way back to the airport the following day when "they said just two of the girls out of the seven of us could get a flight back on the 26 or 27 December".

"They said they could give us £177 (€213) between the [other] five of us. It was nearly £800 (€964) for all of us to get home - it was really chaotic."

The group of girls were not on their own amid the travel chaos. A man has been in touch to say he too was supposed to be on a flight with Aer Lingus to Belfast, which was cancelled. He added: "They kicked me off an earlier flight I'd paid £110 (€132) for due to British Airways moving three passengers over and deciding they needed my seat. Aer Lingus told me buying a ticket doesn't guarantee you a seat - we suggest you pay for a specific seat in the future."

Another woman reached out, outlining similar issues. She said: "We were also not offered a replacement flight until December 26 and told in the airport by Swissport staff that Aer Lingus would compensate us if we booked our own replacement flight".

"We've spent £112 (€135) on flights from Glasgow to Dublin, plus £40 (€48) in buses and trains on top of that to make it home for Christmas. Aer Lingus customer support offered us £30 (€36) compensation. We're very upset. Everyone seemed to be told different information - another group of six said they were definitely being compensated."

Aer Lingus has been contacted for comment but has not yet responded.

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