What began as a delay caused by a red weather alert in the Valencian Community ended up turning into a long night of uncertainty for passengers on a Ryanair flight between Valencia and Ibiza. The flight was due to depart on Sunday at 4 p.m. but did not finally take off until Monday at 10.45 a.m., almost 18 hours later.
Far from being an April Fool’s Day prank, the flight was scheduled to leave Valencia Airport on December 28 at 4 p.m., with arrival in Ibiza at 4.45 p.m. However, the red alert issued due to adverse weather conditions forced air operations to be modified throughout the day. Initially, the airline rescheduled the departure for 10.15 p.m., with landing expected around 11 p.m., weather permitting.
The situation worsened as the afternoon and evening progressed. The flight was delayed again until 11.15 p.m. and later until 12.20 a.m. Eventually, passengers were allowed to board, but once seated on the aircraft, they received an SMS from Ryanair informing them that the flight had been cancelled.
“We are not to blame for what is happening”
The announcement caused moments of tension on board. Several passengers began shouting, asking for a few more minutes before disembarking. “Let them wait 20 minutes, we are already on board and about to arrive”, some passengers could be heard saying. A crew member attempted to calm the situation, explaining that the decision was beyond their control. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am here facing you, but this is not our fault. You have to get off and ask for a hotel at the terminal”, said a flight attendant.
Some passengers refused to leave the aircraft, shouting “we are not getting off”, reflecting the accumulated fatigue and frustration after hours of waiting and a lack of clear information. Many of those affected also expressed concern about not being able to return to Ibiza in time to resume their work commitments.
Finally, after spending the night, the flight took off on Monday at 10.45 a.m., bringing almost 18 hours of delays to an end. Eyewitnesses told this newspaper that queues to request hotel accommodation were “excessively long” and that many passengers “had to find their own way to sleep in the city”. Others spent the night in the terminal “because there were not enough hotel rooms available”. “Some passengers arrived at the hotel at 3.30 a.m. and were not given dinner, just two four-euro vouchers to spend at the airport”, one passenger said.