Ryanair Passengers Stranded for Hours at Empty Moroccan Airport Amid Heatwave

A Ryanair flight bound for Marrakech was diverted at the last minute to Agadir airport due to a storm. The company had promised the 200 passengers that once they got off the plane, buses would be provided to transport them to the ochre city, their initial destination. But things did not go as planned. "At Agadir airport, we were the only plane on the runway. There were no scheduled flights, so little staff at the airport and no other travelers. There was no communication or Ryanair representatives present after we left the plane," Greg, one of the passengers, told Edinburgh Live.

The passengers found themselves stranded at the airport in stifling heat and without water. "It was over 40 degrees and nearly 200 people were waiting outside an airport three hours from their destination, but no Ryanair agent was there to communicate, give news or even provide water. It’s a shame that Ryanair provided no support and simply abandoned its customers," Greg fumed angrily. About two hours after landing, only "one bus" arrived to transport the passengers, he said, noting that the other buses were slow to return to the airport.

Faced with the situation, Greg and some passengers had to share a three-hour taxi to Marrakech. Arrived at destination, they are angry with Ryanair for having abandoned them. "I think several other people did the same. Again, no Ryanair agent was available to check who was there, etc. They would surely have wanted to tick off the passengers on a list, as in a fire evacuation drill. But no, Ryanair didn’t bother to communicate with its customers," laments Greg.

This unfortunate event prompted Ryanair to profusely apologize. "This flight from Edinburgh to Marrakech (August 23) was diverted to Agadir due to storms at Marrakech airport. The plane landed safely and Ryanair organized several coaches to transport the passengers to Marrakech, but some passengers chose to make their own way to Marrakech. Ryanair sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this Marrakech airport storm which was beyond Ryanair’s control," a Ryanair spokesperson said.