Cork passengers shocked by last-minute holiday cancellation

Prospective holidaymakers due to fly from Cork Airport at the weekend were left baffled and disappointed when their flight was cancelled when they were already at the airport preparing to travel.

A TUI organised holiday package that was due to start at Cork Airport with a flight to Palma de Mallorca was cancelled at 3.38pm on Saturday. The flight departure time had already been delayed twice at that point. 

A spokesperson for TUI told The Echo: “The half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away. We’d like to apologise to customers impacted by the TOM1682 cancellation on Saturday 28th May departing from Cork to Palma. 

"The flight cancellation was caused by various operational and supply chain issues.

"We’d like to reassure customers that we are doing everything we can to minimise delays and cancellations, and would like to thank them for their patience and understanding during this time.” 

TUI said customers affected by cancelled flights will receive a full refund within 14 days and they have offered a gesture of goodwill to say sorry.

One of the people affected by the cancellation, Vicky, who was going on holidays with her husband and their two children, told the Neil Prendeville Show on RedFM that it was very disappointing.

“We booked our holiday in October, a week to Mallorca, we wanted something out of Cork, nice and close.” 

 Vicky said they got to the airport 11.30am on Saturday and were due to fly out 2.10pm.

At the airport Vicky got a text from TUI to say the flight would be delayed from 2.10pm to 3.35pm but to check in as normal anyway. They checked in their bags and at 3pm, there was another announcement, to say the flight was delayed to 5.30pm.

“We were saying it was a bummer to be delayed but we would get over it, then all of a sudden we got an email from TUI at 3.38pm that the whole holiday was cancelled and the reason was a combination of factors causing significant operational disruption.” 

 Vicky said she almost didn’t believe it.

“I almost thought it was a bit of a prank, we were all looking at each other asking if they got the email, the airport staff were completely oblivious, my husband rang [the] travel agents, where we booked, and they didn’t know anything about it and it was coming up live on their system.” 

 Vicky said there were some people at the airport who had had a few drinks while waiting and now couldn’t drive home.

“Then there was an announcement over the Tannoy that we were to go to our gate and receive further instruction and then the lady who checked in our bags said we had to get our bags off the conveyor belt and go home.” 

The mother of two said it was upsetting to see the kids crying with disappointment at the airport.

“I’d say a lot of these families were looking forward to getting away after two years. You know you save up, you book time off work, there could have been 4 – 6 adults who had to coincide time off, there’s a lot of planning that goes into it.

“It’s just so disappointing.”