The Irish Mail on Sunday

Ryanair f light to Portugal lands in Spain instead

- By Dolly Busby

RYANAIR passengers who boarded a flight to Faro, Portugal, at Dublin airport on Friday night were shocked to find themselves landing in Malaga, Spain, in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Passengers who vented their frustratio­n on social media said the flight crew never told them of the 400km diversion.

One passenger wrote on Twitter: ‘Morale is low, some people are only just realising we’re in Spain.’

Another said: ‘Got on a Ryanair flight to Faro and I’m in Malaga lads, you couldn’t make this up.’

Passengers were then bussed on a five-hour journey to the Algarve. However, some apparently missed the bus and had to make their own way.

Acknowledg­ing the ‘mistake’, Ryanair said the plane had left Dublin late because of the French air traffic control strike on Friday and had missed Faro Airport’s curfew.

An airline spokesman said: ‘This flight from Dublin to Faro (September 16) diverted to

Malaga having missed Faro Airport’s curfew due to disruption from the French air traffic control strike, which was entirely beyond our control and impacted all airlines flying to/from/over France that day.’

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