An 84-year-old British woman who was about to take a Ryanair flight back to the UK was left alone for several hours by the boarding gate and ended up being forgotten at Hamburg airport in Germany.
According to The Great Britain News website, after the elderly woman had checked in, an assistance team took her to the boarding gate in a wheelchair and said they would return to help her when boarding began.
However, the team never showed up. The airline boarded the passengers and allegedly ignored warnings that a passenger who had booked assistance was missing.
The 84-year-old diabetic woman was left alone for several hours until her son managed to reach her.
But if the elderly woman didn't make it onto the flight, the same can't be said for her luggage, which contained her diabetes medication.
The elderly woman's son ended up having to buy a new ticket for his mother and personally accompanied her to the UK, after which he claimed compensation from Ryanair.
The airline refused to refund the money for the missed flight or expenses, adding that the special assistance was the responsibility of a third party and not them.
A lawyer explained to the British newspaper The Guardian that “the airline is only responsible for the special assistance” while the person is on the flight.
“It's the airport that's responsible for the person getting on the plane and then disembarking,” said the lawyer.
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