Hundreds of British passengers were yesterday locked for an hour in a sweltering airport corridor in Italy without access to water or toilets.
Holidaymakers waiting to board an easyJet plane to Manchester tried to break out of the stuffy unventilated room through a fire exit before discovering their flight had been cancelled.
Some passengers allegedly fainted with temperatures soaring past 86F outside, with mothers stripping babies down to their nappies to stop them overheating.
Hundreds of British passengers have been locked for an hour in a sweltering airport corridor in Italy without access to water or toilets
Holidaymakers waiting to board an easyJet plane to Manchester tried to break out of the stuffy unventilated room through a fire exit
After multiple delays to their flight, the customers were finally released only to be told their flight had been cancelled.
Passengers ended up waiting around at the airport for around eight hours and claimed they had to fend for themselves to book hotels and taxis.
The long day took its toll on RAF veteran Joe Rylance, 83 , from Bangor, North Wales, who struggled to sit on the hard airport floors.
His son, Neil Rylance, 52, CEO and founder of a software company, said that his group of eight will now be stuck in Pisa for two extra days.
He estimates that the disruption caused by the experience and cancellation will cost the family more than £2,000.
Noah Rylance, 11, tries to sleep on the corridor floor as the family awaits news of their flight back to Manchester
Passengers took to social media yesterday while stuck at the airport to vent their frustrations at the airline
The long day took its toll on RAF veteran Joe Rylance, 83 , from Bangor, North Wales, who struggled to sit on the hard airport floors
Speaking today from Pisa, Neil said: ‘It was chaos. There were three easyJet flights all thrown together with nobody organising where we meant to be going.
‘Every single person who was meant to be on the Manchester flight was locked in this corridor – locked at both ends.
‘Within 10 minutes it was getting hotter and hotter and hotter.
‘There were babies that were stripped off because they were absolutely sweating and there was no air.
‘We tried to kick down a fire exit just to get some air for people.
‘There was no representative from easyJet seen in the whole of this experience.
‘My dad just wants to get home. It’s taken a lot out of him, which is really upsetting.
‘My daughter is a care worker, my partner is a police officer and we were meant to be out here relaxing after years of not having a holiday. Now we’re all so stressed.’
After multiple delays to their flight, the customers were finally released only to be told their flight had been cancelled
Neil added: ‘Communication is so important, but there was absolutely none of it.
‘I just wish they talked to us, let us know what was going on. We still have no idea what happened.’
A video captured by Neil shows passengers attempting to force their way out of the fire exit.
Other passengers took to social media yesterday while stuck at the airport to vent their frustrations at the airline.
Natalie Yates said: ‘We’ve been delayed already and now ushered into the boarding tunnel with no food, water or toilets and people are fainting and overheating.
Passengers ended up waiting around at the airport for around eight hours and claimed they had to fend for themselves to book hotels and taxis
‘No communication, and no way out. Send help.’
Another traveller wrote: ‘HELP! B****y madness at gate 22 at #Pisa airport.
’11:30 flight to Manchester delayed; passengers hot; no water, no toilets; no security and airside open to us all.’
Martin Brady today said: ‘Absolute s**tshow from @easyJet at Pisa airport yesterday.
‘Eight hours in the airport to be told it’s cancelled, after being held in a tunnel without access to food and drink. Madness!’
Airports across the UK have been hit with a raft of delays, leaving thousands of passengers out of pocket.
Travellers at Bristol Airport were said to have been left in tears on Saturday after their TUI flight to Paphos, Greece was delayed by more than 20 hours.
