A Ryanair flight to Morocco takes off from Marseille without 83 passengers left on the tarmac, they do not take off

Their vacation in the Moroccan sun turned into a nightmare. On Saturday, 83 Ryanair passengers were never able to board their flight to Marrakech, departing from Marseille-Provence airport. In question? A lack of border police personnel, preventing checks and transforming the scene into indescribable “chaos” according to several witnesses from Ici et la Provence. This Monday, these aggrieved travelers are stepping up to the plate and creating a collective to obtain compensation.

Virginie, an Aix resident who was supposed to fly away with her family, did not take offense at the local radio. Arriving “three hours early”, she watched helplessly as the customs counters closed. “They told us point blank that it was over. Some passengers had already boarded, but their families could no longer keep up. It was lunar,” she says, still in shock.

For Virginie, the adventure cost a little more than extra baggage: 1,000 euros for new tickets and an eventual landing in Morocco. “But others weren’t so lucky. Their vacations were canceled, some were in tears,” she further testifies. Most of the passengers, although on time, saw their hope vanish with the Irish low-cost airline’s plane.

Whose fault is it?

Faced with incomprehension, the situation almost degenerated. Some passengers, in desperation, sneaked to the boarding gate, ending up on the tarmac at the foot of the plane. “Our luggage still hadn’t come out, it was chaos,” Virginie still remembers. Their final attempt to prevent the plane from taking off, hoping for a refund, was in vain. The flight finally left Marseille around 1:50 a.m.

This Monday, all the players in the disaster scenario are passing the buck. Ryanair, Marseille-Provence airport and the border police do not assume their responsibilities. The airport, which speaks of an “exceptionally rare situation”, has opened investigations to understand the failures. Passengers intend to obtain compensation for this airport inconvenience.