Ryanair passengers left stranded in France after flight left without them

Fintan Starkey
Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:39:15 +0000

More than 80 travellers found themselves abandoned at Marseille-Provence Airport in France over the weekend after their Ryanair service to Marrakech took off without them on board.

The incident unfolded on Saturday evening when significant delays at border control prevented dozens of passengers from reaching their gate in time.

Staff shortages at passport checks were blamed for the lengthy queues that left frustrated holidaymakers unable to board their aircraft, The Sun reports.

The budget carrier's flight, which had been due to depart at 10:30pm, eventually left the French airport more than three hours behind schedule with a substantial number of ticketed passengers still waiting on the wrong side of security.

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As the evening progressed, tensions mounted on both sides of the departure gate with passengers growing increasingly agitated by the prolonged wait.

The situation escalated when a number of those stuck in the queue attempted to push their way through the security checkpoint.

Airport authorities determined this behaviour constituted a security concern, further complicating an already chaotic situation.

The Ryanair aircraft ultimately departed at approximately 1.50am, leaving behind the stranded passengers who had been unable to clear border control in time.

According to airport officials, the airline was bound by operational requirements that dictate aircraft must be positioned in specific countries overnight or have crew members available at designated locations the following morning.

Marseille-Provence Airport has confirmed it is conducting an inquiry into what occurred that night.

Senior figures at the airport characterised the events as an "exceptionally rare situation" that does not reflect normal operations.

The airport emphasised airlines operating from the facility are subject to strict operational obligations that cannot simply be disregarded.

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These requirements include ensuring aircraft are returned to designated countries by the end of each day's operations, as well as guaranteeing that flight crews are positioned at specific airports ready for the following morning's schedule.

The combination of these constraints meant Ryanair had limited flexibility to wait indefinitely for the remaining passengers to clear security.

The Marseille incident follows similar scenes of airport chaos in Italy just days earlier.

Passengers at Milan's Linate airport endured waits of up to three hours in sweltering conditions last week, with some travellers becoming so unwell they vomited or fainted.

One passenger, Kiera from Oldham, told the BBC that despite arriving at 7:30am for an 11am easyJet service to Manchester.

She and approximately 100 others missed their flight while only around 30 people managed to board.

"We got to Border Control and it was a massive queue of people," she said.

The disruption at both airports coincides with the EU's Entry/Exit System becoming fully operational on April 10, requiring all non-EU nationals to provide fingerprints and facial images.