Stranded Tourist Slams Ryanair’s Response to Morocco-Spain Flight Suspension

While she had gone to Marrakech to spend a long weekend there, Irene Varela, 33, found herself stranded in Morocco until Thursday, December 2. She tells the newspaper El Pais that she had bought a Ryanair ticket on the carrier’s website, accepting the booking for a flight from Agadir to Alicante-Elche airport last Tuesday. She had just learned that she could not take the plane from the ochre city.

Things do not go as planned. She drives three and a half hours to Agadir, and learns that her flight has been canceled. "Ryanair treated us like dogs, she deceived people. They didn’t inform us of the flight cancellation and they’re forced to do it by email," denounces Irene Varela, adding that the Irish low-cost company continued to sell tickets on November 30, despite the flight cancellation.

"And the price was much higher than the day before. I have proof, I took pictures of the ticket prices with my phone," she said. The Spanish tourist had to face additional expenses, including extra nights in hotels and a fare of 339 euros for the Iberia flight on Thursday, December 2 departing from Casablanca. For its part, Ryanair has not yet either confirmed or denied Irene Varela’s allegations.

This week, the Irish low-cost company announced the suspension of its flights to Morocco until February 1 due to a "lack of clarity" from the Moroccan government. It will specify that the cancellations had already affected 160,000 customers and that the suspension of flights would affect 230,000 passengers until February.