Holiday travel chaos for hundreds of NI holidaymakers

Cara Swanston is waiting to fly to Greece for her own wedding

Hundreds of Northern Ireland passengers have faced travel delays of more than 24 hours in foreign countries due to flight cancellations.

Passengers due to fly to Belfast from the islands of Ibiza and Rhodes were stuck in airports for hours on end.

Travel company TUI said the Ibiza flight had been delayed due to a "technical issue" and those travellers have now returned home.

TUI apologised and said it understood the passengers' frustration.

'Void of communication'

Shayne Quigg says there was a 'void of communication' from TUI - but he is happy to be home

Shayne Quigg, from Kilrea in County Londonderry, had been on holiday in Ibiza with his wife and two sons, aged 11 and four.

He told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme there had been a "void of communication" from TUI about the delay.

Speaking from Ibiza airport, he described the situation as "grim" and that many people had spent up to 20 hours in the airport.

Shayne Quigg had been on holiday with his wife and two sons aged 11 and four

"Yesterday we came to board a flight at 11:00 so we got here at 07:30 and just kept getting delay notices," said Mr Quigg.

"For hours we had no representation from the tour operator until we got an email around 16:00 to say we weren't flying until tomorrow [Thursday]".

He said passengers were later put into other accommodation but received an email just before midnight telling them to be on board shuttle buses at 05:45 local time to go back to the airport.

Mr Quigg said communication from TUI had been poor.

"Everything has been communicated by automatic replies. We've asked time and again for tour representatives to come and speak to us, just to give us some information," he said.

"People are being reasonable, considering the stress they're being put under.

"There are families, pensioners, people in wheelchairs and some who even picked up injuries on holiday here who need medical attention in Belfast - one lady broke her ankle."

Passengers were stranded at Ibiza Airport for many hours

The Ibiza flight eventually arrived in Belfast shortly before 17:00 on Thursday.

In a statement, TUI said the safety of customers and crew was its "utmost priority".

"The aircraft customers were meant to travel on developed a technical issue that required a new part to be transported from overseas," it said.

"This also meant the flight crew were over the legal working hour limit.

"Customers were communicated with throughout the delay, and we provided them with accommodation until their new expected flight time of 09:00 the following day.

"Unfortunately, the new part for the aircraft was delayed in customs which caused the unexpected further delay. The aircraft has now departed and customers are on their way home."

The firm said all customers would be entitled to claim flight delay compensation.

'Dreadful communication'

A bride-to-be has been among those caught up in the mayhem as she attempts to travel to Greece for her own wedding.

Cara Swanston's TUI flight from Belfast was cancelled on Wednesday evening and she is waiting for a replacement flight so she can join her 30 guests in Rhodes.

Customers are queuing in airport corridors as they wait to board a flight scheduled to leave Belfast on Wednesday

"Today's my 40th birthday so we were supposed to be out for a big dinner and then the wedding on Saturday and we have been strung along since eight this morning," she said.

She was told that the original scheduled flight was held in Ibiza after it suffered technical issues.

Having talked to passengers on that incoming Spanish flight, Ms Swanston is now under the impression she may soon depart Belfast - but this hasn't been communicated by Tui directly.

"We have not had one rep here, we've had absolutely nothing. Staff in the airport aren't even able to tell me that flight is on its way here," she said.

"Everybody's a little bit stressed and tetchy.

"It's been the most dreadful communication ever.

"We just feel like it's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to have all the people we love on holiday together - and we're not there," she added.

'Left in limbo'

Meanwhile, Gavin O'Neill and his family contacted BBC News NI to say his family also experienced issues with TUI as they attempted to return from a holiday in Rhodes, Greece.

After completing airport security checks on Wednesday evening, Mr O'Neill received an email to inform him that their flight had been cancelled.

They were left waiting for 90 minutes before they were given their luggage and sent to a hotel which Mr O'Neill said was in poor condition.

Advertised as a five-star hotel, the emergency hotel had exposed wires, broken floorboards and dirty facilities, according to Mr O'Neill.

"The holiday was absolutely superb at the start… this has just kind of put a bit of a dampener on it," he told Evening Extra.

He said he made multiple attempts to contact TUI but nobody had been in touch to explain the situation.

"We're just kind of left in limbo," he said.

The family were put in a hotel with poor conditions after their flight to Belfast was cancelled

Mr O'Neill said he was under the impression his family would be returning to Belfast at 00:30 Turkish time on Friday.

However, this information has been provided by fellow passengers, not from the firm itself.

"There's been no direct contact with TUI," he said.

Mr O'Neill took pictures of what he said was a dirty glass and broken floor boards in the hotel where he had been put up overnight

"I was promised a phone call back within 15 minutes and I'm still waiting for that phone call from 10:00 this morning.

"You would think somebody would maybe contact you to give you a bit of information," he added.

In a further statement, the travel firm said customers flying from Belfast to Rhodes "have been communicated with throughout the delay" and have been provided with overnight accommodation and meal vouchers.

"We completely understand the frustration of customers who were due to depart Rhodes on flight TOM1335 on 19th July, and we would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused," it said. 

"The aircraft was delayed due to a technical issue which has now been resolved, but meant the flight crew were over the legal working hour limit."

It said passengers will receive "a gesture of goodwill".

"We understand how frustrating this is for customers, and would once again like to apologise for the inconvenience caused. All customers will be entitled to claim EU261 flight delay compensation."

Earlier it said: "We are sorry to hear that Mr O'Neill and his family were not satisfied with the accommodation provided."