EasyJet Nightmare: Stranded Passengers Demand Compensation After Marrakech-Lyon Flight Chaos

Eva Jaber’s ordeal began on December 28, 2024. While she and her partner were supposed to return to France on an EasyJet flight from Marrakech to Lyon carrying 180 passengers and scheduled to depart at 8:55 pm, she noticed on the Flightradar app that the plane was experiencing significant delays on its previous routes. "At 12:52 pm, our flight was already displayed in red, which indicated at least an hour’s delay," she recounts. Very late at night, Eva discovers that the flight is simply cancelled and rescheduled for the next day at 4:15 pm, even though the airport display never mentioned a cancellation, reports Actu Dijon.

The passengers received no concrete assistance. "We had neither water, nor meals, nor blankets. Nothing. And those who tried to sleep at the airport ended up being expelled by the police around 3 am, in the rain," Eva describes. She and her partner were forced to find a hotel on their own. "He was sick, he had the flu. We couldn’t stay there," she recalls. After several refusals, they finally found a room in a Moroccan riad around 1 am. Other passengers were not as lucky as them. They slept outside or in the terminal until it closed.

The next day, a nasty surprise at boarding. Some passengers discover that they are no longer on the list. Families found themselves separated, as the planned aircraft was smaller (an A319 instead of an A320). "On the plane, parents told us that one of the children was leaving without them, or that one of the two parents had been rescheduled on a later flight. It was really very complicated," she confides.

Upon her return to France, Eva obtained the reimbursement of taxi and hotel expenses, after three weeks. On the other hand, she did not receive her compensation in accordance with European Regulation No. 261/2004. According to this, "passengers of a flight cancelled less than 14 days before departure can claim compensation of up to 400 euros per person for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km, except in extraordinary circumstances," it is specified. "I went through Flightright, a platform specializing in defending passenger rights, which estimates that I should receive 843.86 euros. But since January, despite several reminders, EasyJet has not followed up."

Eva says she then tried to go through the Tourism and Travel Ombudsman, but even the website was not working properly. She does not give up, however: she is considering hiring a lawyer. "It’s not so much about the 800 euros. It’s a matter of principle," she explains. "There are rights, but they are not respected." For its part, EasyJet believes, in an email, that it is not responsible for the cancellation. The company cites weather conditions and air traffic restrictions in Lyon. For now, Eva continues to fight to obtain her compensation.