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5 months ago
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Three passengers requiring wheelchair assistance were left behind after an EasyJet flight took off without them.
Liz Weir was one of three wheelchair passengers who were left stranded at Belfast International airport after their flight to Edinburgh flew off with their luggage.
She said she was sitting on the tarmac waiting to be boarded after other passengers, when the doors were closed and the plane left.
Ms Weir was meant to be flying to the Scottish capital for a storytelling session at an arts festival in Midlothian, but missed the event after easyJet failed to board her and other passengers requiring assistance.
EasyJet indicated that it would provide compensation to Ms Weir and the other stranded passengers and said the matter was being investigated.
Three wheelchair passengers were left stranded at Belfast International airport after their flight took off without them
Liz Weir was one of the passengers left on the tarmac after their plane to Edinburgh left without them but with their luggage
The woman, from County Antrim, said she had allowed plenty of time to check in for her flight and had been escorted to the steps of the aircraft for the flight, EZY55, at 1pm on Friday, BBC News reported.
But she said that rather than being allowed to the board the flight, the pilot gave a signal to suggest that she wouldn't be able to get on after the doors had already been closed.
She described her ordeal as 'exhausting' and 'distressing'.
Ms Weir later shared a post of her ready to leave on a flight to Scotland yesterday evening.
She wrote: 'Trying again on a flight leaving at 8 50. It's bad enough when a bus leaves you at the stop but when a jet leaves you on the tarmac….how often do people say 'they won't go without us!' Except they did!'
EasyJet said it would compensate the stranded customers and said it was investigating the incident, which took place at around 1pm yesterday
In a statement, EasyJet said: 'We are very sorry that flight EZY55 from Belfast to Edinburgh on Friday 21 June departed without three passengers who were being accompanied by the airport’s special assistance provider.
'We have urgently raised with the provider and our ground-handling team to understand why this happened.
'We are doing everything possible to assist the passengers, arranging for flights to Glasgow and Edinburgh later this evening to get them to their destination as quickly as possible.
''Our team looked after them throughout and provided them with refreshment vouchers while they waited for their new flight.
"We will also be processing the compensation they are due.''
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