The low-cost airline Ryanair is in the crossfire of criticism after a weather-related diversion of a flight that was supposed to have flown from Marrakech to Baris-Beauvais. Affected passengers have now started a petition calling on the low-cost airline to pay out compensation.

The incident occurred on November 2, 2023 on Ryanair flight FR65. This was supposed to run from Marrakesh to Paris-Beauvais. The departure was planned for 6:15 a.m. and after about half an hour the Boeing 737-Max-200 with the registration EI-IHM actually took to the air.

However, the medium-haul jet did not reach its destination near the French capital. The reason for this is that the weather forecast for Beauvais deteriorated significantly during the flight. The captain then made the decision to head to the alternative airport for safety reasons. That was Toulouse, where the Boeing 737-Max-200 landed safely at around 9:35 a.m. local time.

Coach broke down on the way to Beauvais

What happened next really upset some passengers. As required in such cases, the captain first had to discuss the situation with his superiors in Dublin. The decision had to be made as to whether the flight to Beauvais could still be continued. In Dublin they were not optimistic and decided to charter coaches that would take passengers from Toulouse to their actual destination, Paris-Beauvais.

This is exactly where the criticism from those passengers who have started a petition calling on Ryanair to pay compensation comes in. The bus ride is said to have lasted almost ten hours, significantly longer than the flight. In addition, one of the coaches used broke down on the way and the onward journey was delayed. It is also alleged that both the carrier and the bus drivers communicated unclearly. It was initially said that those affected would be taken to downtown Paris. Locals are said to have ordered their pickers to the initially communicated arrival location. The coach trip actually ended at Beauvais Airport.

Initiators accuse low-cost airlines of incompetence

The Ryanair flight, which had to be diverted due to weather, was actually supposed to arrive in Paris-Beauvais at around 9:30 a.m. Those affected claim that they were only able to get off the bus there at 2:30 a.m. the following day. The limited availability of public transport at night then “extended” the odyssey.

The initiators of the petition demand that Ryanair reimburse the flight price and also pay compensation of 500 euros per person. Knowing full well that weather problems are considered an exceptional circumstance in terms of passenger rights, the angry passengers do not invoke this. They accuse Ryanair of incompetence and causing chaos and therefore want to collect signatures and thus get money paid out.