A teenager from Darlington has spoken of his holiday from hell after a long weekend break to Palma turned into a week of waiting when a storm meant flights were cancelled.
Joseph Johnson and his friends Joe Markham, Ethan Vallis, David Lodge, Bronton Creighton and Liam Mason have been left stranded at Palma de Mallorca airport for five days after their original flight back to Leeds Bradford was cancelled by Ryanair.
The boys had originally planned for a long weekend trip from August 23 to 27 but will now return on September 1 after a typhoon swept across the island meaning most of the flights heading to and from the island were cancelled.
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The few flights that are leaving are fully booked, meaning the group has been forced to wait.
Storm winds reaching up to 75mph have hit the island since Sunday (August 29) causing havoc at the popular holiday destination and in the airport, with footage inside the terminal showing hundreds of holidaymakers waiting to get home.
Joseph said: “There was a typhoon on Sunday (August 27) in Majorca and all the flights were cancelled, so by the time we got to the airport, there were thousands of people there and just no staff.
“We waited in a queue for eight hours, and from what people were saying they were also just getting nowhere – there has been no help at all.”
“They haven’t given us anywhere to stay or a taxi.”
Joseph explained that the group had to ask their parents for emergency funds as they scrambled to find a hotel for the night and figure out their plans until Friday.
He added: “I’m an 18-year-old boy, I have no money left, nobody has helped us or offered us an apology.
“To be honest, we are homeless in Mallorca with no money. I will never fly with Ryanair again, there is not a chance.
“It has put me off going on holiday. We came to the same place as we had been before for a short weekend and now it has turned into nine days from hell.”
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A Ryanair spokesperson said: “Due to thunderstorms in Mallorca on Sunday, August 27, some flights to/from Palma were cancelled.
“All affected passengers were notified of their options to either change flight (free of charge) or receive a full refund.
“These passengers chose to move to another Ryanair flight which is due to depart from Palma to Leeds on Friday, September 1.
“We sincerely apologise for these thunderstorms which were beyond Ryanair’s control and affected all airlines operating to/from Palma on Sunday, August 27.”
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