Manchester Airport: Iceland cyclist's 10-day wait for bike

Simon Owens is yet to be reunited with his bike 10 days after arriving in Iceland

A holidaymaker who painstakingly planned a 14-night cycling holiday around Iceland is still waiting for his bike - 10 days after arriving.

Simon Owens flew with Iceland Air to Reykjavik on 2 July from Manchester Airport, but is yet to be reunited with his bike, tent and baggage.

Mr Owens said the delay had caused an extra £2,000 in unexpected costs.

Baggage handler Menzies Aviation said it was working to reunite passengers with their bags "as soon as possible".

Mr Owens, 51, from Sheffield, spent six months researching his trip around Iceland's 822-mile (1323km) ring road, but found himself landing in the country's capital without any sign of his transport, clothes and accommodation.

"I thought it'd be on the next flight, so I thought it might just mean an extra day in Reykjavik and I'll just have to do a few more miles every day, but by the third day it became apparent that it wasn't going to happen quickly," the police detective said.

"Every response has been, 'we have no news yet, we'll tell you when we find it.'"

His missing bike is also carrying his tent, clothes, cooking equipment and toiletries

With his hand luggage including only two changes of clothes, some books and a phone charger, he decided to rent a small van with a sleeping bag and a stove to allow him to get around without his bike.

"It just feels like I'm going around in circles where everyone thinks it's someone else's fault," he said.

"I'm fortunate that I have a job, a savings account and a credit card, but the £2000 of additional costs would have paid for three or four cycling holidays."

Mr Owens has been contacting the baggage team for a update each day, but said he still hasn't been given any clear information about where his bike is.

Mr Owens, 51, described the country as "heart-achingly beautiful"

"It's been something I've been looking forward to for months, so to have the rug pulled out - in a drip drip fashion - is disappointing and frustrating," he said.

"I've now got a bit of anxiety about what happens if the bike comes out to Iceland when I'm flying in the other direction."

Despite the continuing uncertainty about his luggage, he described Iceland as "a jaw-dropping, heart-achingly beautiful country with such a unique landscape".

"I've still loved my experience, but I need to come back to do the trip I had planned for," he added.

In a statement, Menzies Aviation said: "Airports, including Manchester, are experiencing high volumes of unaccompanied baggage arriving as a consequence of the global supply chain issues.

"We understand the distress and frustration this can cause passengers and our teams are working hard alongside our partners to ensure passengers are reunited with their bags as soon as possible."