A group of friends celebrating a birthday and graduation in Gran Canaria were among those stung by the ‘security issue’
The group of friends from Taunton who were stuck at Gran Canaria Airport and had to figure out what to do next when no luggage arrived with them
Tourists have been left frantically hunting for basic necessities under the Spanish sun after a Ryanair flight from Bristol to Gran Canaria allegedly touched down without a single item of checked baggage.
Travellers aboard flight FR4757, which took off on Friday, July 18, were left bewildered when the pilot announced upon landing that none of their suitcases had been loaded onto the aircraft due to “time constraints” following a security incident at Bristol Airport.
Amongst those impacted was a party of 11 mates from Taunton, who had jetted off to Maspalomas for a birthday and graduation bash.
Madeline Cooper, 22, revealed that everything appeared normal until they reached their destination. “We had absolutely no issues at all until we landed. Then the captain said they made the difficult decision to not bring any of our luggage,” she revealed.
“They wouldn’t say what the security issue was – just that every single person’s bag had been left behind.”, reports Bristol Live.
The party quickly discovered they weren’t the only ones affected. “We were told today that it was 70 bags that didn’t fly. One pram made it across, that’s it,” Madeline continued.
“People didn’t even believe it at first – some thought it was a joke.”
Vital belongings abandoned included medicines, contact lenses, cosmetics and sun protection. Sophie Payne, a member of the group, battles severe asthma and found herself stranded without her inhaler.
“It was really stressful,” she revealed. “I take it twice a day and it gets worse at night. We’ve had to search for a pharmacy in an area we don’t know.”
The group, staying at the Cordial Green Golf Bungalows, were informed that their luggage might arrive by Saturday night.
However, as of 6pm during the interview, they had not received any updates from Ryanair. Madeline expressed her frustration, saying, “There’s been zero communication,” and highlighted the issue with the airline’s app, noting, “They keep telling us to use the app, but some older passengers don’t even have smartphones.”
Their situation has already caused significant inconvenience. Madeline explained the financial strain: “We’ve had to pay €60 just to get to a shopping centre and back for clean underwear and essentials,” and added, “We’re all students – we can’t afford to keep replacing everything.”
With the heat intensifying and no suncream available, Sophie remarked: “There’s a lot of burnt bodies around here.”
Others affected by the luggage mishap vented their frustrations on social media. One individual lamented: “Great start to the holiday as Ryanair decided to bring 0 of the suitcases from Bristol to Gran Canaria. No heart medication for me tomorrow.”
Another shared their predicament: “Currently in Gran Canaria with zero belongings.”
Despite these setbacks, the group is trying to remain optimistic that their bags will turn up in time for the various activities they have planned, which include a birthday celebration, a trip to a water park, and a private boat tour.
Sophie voiced their concerns about the potential impact on their holiday: “This is provided that we are able to get our luggage,” and warned, “If we don’t our stuff then it’s completely ruined the holiday.”
For some, there’s the prospect of an hour-long round trip to the airport to collect their suitcases if and when they finally arrive.
Ryanair and Bristol Airport have been contacted for comment.