A traveller with a severe nut allergy has accused easyJet of leaving him stranded in France and out of pocket by more than £3,000, despite fulfilling every requirement the airline demanded of him.
The man, who has asked to remain anonymous, fell ill during a flight from Malaga to Belfast International Airport, triggering an emergency diversion to Brest on Sunday.
After receiving medical attention and being discharged, he claims he was subsequently refused boarding on a rescheduled EasyJet service, forcing him to organise his own complex route back to Northern Ireland.
The passenger said he had complied with all instructions from the carrier, including securing a medical certificate confirming his fitness to fly, and demonstrating he carried additional medication.
Following the diversion, emergency crews met the aircraft and the passenger received treatment before being released from medical care.
He contacted EasyJet and was booked onto an evening flight from Brest to Gatwick, with a connecting service to Belfast the following morning at 6am for himself and his travelling companion.
However, ground staff informed him the airline required a fitness-to-fly certificate before he could board.
"I went to the medical centre and a doctor carried out a head-to-toe medical. She said, you're absolutely perfectly able to fly," he told Belfast Live, adding that his blood pressure and pulse had returned to normal.
The passenger was due to travel to Belfast International Airport
| PAThe certificate was forwarded to EasyJet, who then requested proof of additional EpiPens.
"As a standard precaution, I will only put my foot onto an aircraft with six, so I produced the other four," he said.
The airline confirmed the EpiPens were acceptable after hours of waiting, but the passenger was then blocked at the boarding gate.
"I was told at the boarding gate for the flight to London Gatwick that the pilot did not want me on the aircraft," he said.
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When he requested to speak with the captain directly, his appeal was rejected outright.
"The pilot refused to have any conversation. He said, no, he is not getting onto my aircraft," the passenger recounted.
He was forced to return through security and re-enter France on his passport, only to discover no EasyJet flights were available for several days.
Left with no alternative, he arranged his own journey home through Paris, London and Dublin, accumulating substantial expenses along the way.
The passenger expressed fury at EasyJet's initial public statement, which claimed he had continued his journey on Sunday evening.
"When I read EasyJet's statement saying that they had got the passenger safely home on Sunday night on a later flight, I was incandescent," he said, "that is utter nonsense. I did not get home until the following day after travelling on multiple flights".
He accused the airline of showing indifference to his situation, describing their response as "at best disinterested and at worst, couldn't give a damn".
"They put me at more danger because I was sitting on longer flights. If I had not had the funds available, what was I meant to do?" he added.
An EasyJet spokesperson acknowledged the airline had been unaware the passenger was unable to board the rescheduled flight.
The carrier's customer support team has since contacted him to arrange reimbursement for his alternative travel costs.