An easyJet flight bound for Gibraltar was forced to return to the UK after being diverted to Malaga due to bad weather.
After sitting for hours on the tarmac, passengers on board the EZY8793 flight bound for the British Overseas Territory were told they had to return to London Luton “because of Brexit”.
Only those on board with a Spanish residency were permitted to disembark the plane, while the British passengers were transferred to another jet and flown back to the UK.
Jay Pedersen was on the plane and described the situation as being ‘kept as a hostage.’
The 37-year-old from Stourport said: “It was shambolic. They kept telling us buses were coming in “ten minutes” but they never showed.
“Eventually the cabin crew, who were doing their best, made an announcement saying there would be two groups – those with British passports were being kept onboard and flown back to Luton. It was like they were keeping us hostage.
“But quite a lot of British people at the front did manage to get off despite being told they couldn’t. It was like a polite British ‘mutiny’. When we got to passport control our passports were stamped and we were allowed through without any problems whatsoever. I can’t believe how calm everyone stayed.”
Douglas Atkins, 74, from Solihull, was also on the plane and said: “There was only one guy aboard – who must have been a doctor – who raised his voice shouting: ‘I’ve got a patient to see I’m getting off.’ He was one of 30 or so who successfully got to the terminal.”
The pilot had attempted to land at Gibraltar but bad weather meant it was aborted just 900 feet from the runway. They then made the decision to divert to nearby Malaga.
Atkins said: “The crew were young but doing as well as they could as they were clearly getting instructions from their HQ. No one could understand why we weren’t allowed to get off and be taken by buses to Gibraltar.”
Passengers who managed to leave the plane then paid up to 200 euros for a taxi to take them the two-hour journey to Gibraltar.
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