Stranded passengers spend night at airport

The mezzanine upstairs at Guernsey Airport was turned into a hostel for the night as nine of the 19 passengers on the cancelled flight could not find accommodation.

The Blue Islands SI4432 flight from Guernsey to Jersey was delayed, and eventually cancelled at 9.30pm on Saturday due to thunderstorms over Jersey. The affected passengers were provided with bottled water, and refreshments were available overnight from the landside vending machines.

Passengers had hot drinks and food when the landside cafe was opened earlier than usual.

Guernsey Civil Protection arranged for air mattresses and sleeping bags to be brought to the airport.

Guernsey Ports chief operating officer Ross Coppolo thanked civil protection volunteers for their hard work.

‘The passengers from the cancelled inter-island flight to Jersey were understandably upset and some were unable to secure accommodation for the night at short notice,’ he said.

‘Our teams acted quickly to make sure these passengers were well looked after and had a safe place to rest overnight. A few members of our team had to stay at the airport overnight themselves, for safety reasons, and others did not return home until after midnight. I would like to personally thank them for their dedication and duty of care in challenging circumstances.

‘We will be working with the operator to help ensure in future that appropriate customer care is provided to passengers in the event of any late cancellations of scheduled services.’

Guernsey Ports had already agreed to extend the airport’s operating hours until 11.35pm to help airlines complete scheduled flights.

A Blue Islands spokesperson said: 'The inter-island service on Saturday evening was disrupted due to severe thunderstorms over Jersey at around the time of the departure from Jersey to Guernsey.

'Hotels in Guernsey were full, our airport representatives explored other options with local authorities, however no alternative accommodation options were available. We thank Guernsey Airport for keeping the terminal open and providing provisions for passengers.

'Disruption is the last resort, however safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft is always our number one priority. While these circumstances were out of our control we apologise for the inconvenience.'