Ryanair has apologised to passengers for “excessive delays and cancellations” at Palma de Mallorca after air traffic control blocked incoming aircraft due to weather.
The decision to block the flights at the Spanish airport comes despite flights being able to depart from Palma as normal.
Passengers were allowed to leave Majorca but those coming on holiday were not allowed to arrive, explained the budget airline.
Ryanair’s chief ops officer Neal McMahon said: “This is the latest example of terrible Air Traffic Control performance this summer, which has caused repeated and unnecessary disruption to passengers.
Ryanair has warned customers about cancellations and delays
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“Ryanair once again calls on Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, to reform the shambolic ATC services.”
With no immediate rebooking options some travellers have been forced to consider significantly more expensive flights.
The disruptions have left some customers heading towards Barcelona with no alternative options until August 20.
The red alert has remained in place for other places in Majorca, suggesting that the disruptions could continue, reports Aviation 24.
A spokesperson for the airline said: “Ryanair […] today apologised to its passengers for the excessive delays and cancellations at Palma de Majorca following the nonsensical decision by Spanish Air Traffic Control (ATC) to block inbound aircraft from landing this morning due to ‘weather’, which makes no sense given that there were no weather issues in Palma this morning as confirmed by the fact that flights departing Palma were allowed to continue as normal.
“Passengers were allowed to leave Palma de Mallorca but those coming on holiday were not allowed to arrive.
“Ryanair has been unable to contact the Head of Spanish ATC this morning to reverse this nonsensical decision and now calls on the Spanish Minister of Transport to explain why Palma de Mallorca was closed for arriving passengers due to non-existent weather issues.”
The latest disruptions coincide with the start of a Spanish public holiday long weekend.
A spokesperson for Palma de Mallorca airport said: “This surge in passenger numbers, combined with the challenging weather conditions, is likely to lead to further delays.
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Ryanair has shared a warning for delays
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“Passengers are advised to plan accordingly and prepare for potential disruptions.”
Earlier this week, the Spanish Meteorological Agency (Aemet) issued a red alert for the Balearic Islands, warning of a heightened risk of heavy rain and storms throughout Wednesday.
It comes after the budget airline warned customers last month that they could be impacted by potential delays to and from the UK this summer.
Because weather conditions frequently cause delays for holidaymakers it is worth monitoring the situation and checking for updates before jetting off.