Disneyland trip ruined as flight is cancelled just before take-off

FAMILIES’ dreams of spending New Year at Disneyland Paris were wrecked when their easyJet flight was cancelled – after boarding had begun.

Passengers were told to return to the lounge as delays caused by bad weather meant the crew had worked over their allowed number of hours.

Among the disappointed families were nurse Morgan Russell and her partner Mike Arrowsmith, of Buckley in North Wales, who had saved for a year for the £2,000 dream holiday before surprising children EllaRose, two and Jayden, seven, pictured, on Christmas Day.

They went to Liverpool John Lennon Airport for last Friday night’s flight, with no indication anything was wrong other than a delay.

Miss Russell, 26, said: ‘ People were in front of us then everybody started turning around to get off. Nobody knew what was going on. They said there was an issue with the pilot’s hours. We were the last to board and I could hear one of the crew saying, “You must have known this before we boarded”.’

She said there was a ‘stampede’ to a customer service desk after an announcement to say alternative flights would be available on a first come, first served basis. With no affordable options for travelling at such late notice, the family had to go home.

Miss Russell added: ‘I had to stop myself from crying in front of the children. EllaRose is only two so she doesn’t understand, but she has been asking if we’re going swimming and if she’ll see the princesses.’

EasyJet said earlier delays in Paris and Amsterdam due to bad weather meant the crew had exceeded their operating hours.