Key Points:

  • Twenty passengers were left at Carcassonne airport when a Ryanair flight departed for Brussels, citing security delays as the cause.

  • Passengers reported that extensive security checks, including repeated shoe removals and prohibited items in luggage, contributed to their late arrival at the boarding gate.

  • Ryanair, after initially attributing the issue to late passenger arrivals, acknowledged the security delays and assisted affected passengers in rebooking their flights.


Security Holdups Cause Passenger Stranding at Carcassonne Airport

PARIS — On November 24, a Ryanair flight from Carcassonne to Brussels left 20 passengers stranded due to security delays at the airport. The incident, reported by The Connexion newspaper, occurred despite passengers' claims of arriving on time for the 3:10 p.m. flight. The budget airline from Ireland initially pointed to late arrivals but later confirmed that the delay was a result of extended security procedures at the airport.

Passengers affected by the incident described encountering multiple security measures, including repeated requests to remove shoes and thorough checks, which prolonged their passage through security. Among the reasons for the delays were items found in passengers' luggage, such as perfumes exceeding the 100 ml limit, leading to further time consumption during the security process.

Ryanair Responds to Passenger Concerns

Following the incident, a spokesperson for Ryanair stated that all passengers who missed their flight were provided assistance to book the next available flight from Carcassonne to Brussels. This response aimed to mitigate the inconvenience caused by the unexpected delays.

The Carcassonne incident is not isolated in the realm of air travel disruptions. In a similar occurrence last week, SunExpress, a Turkish-German airline, experienced a departure from Paris to Izmir, Turkey, leaving behind 30 passengers. Such incidents highlight the challenges airlines and passengers face with security protocols and underline the importance of effective communication and contingency plans in air travel operations.