In France, a plane took off without 150 passengers who were stuck at security — The Independent
An unusual incident occurred at an airport in France: a plane took off without 150 passengers. The passengers were already heading to the gate, but they did not make it through passport control in time and were left behind in the terminal after the plane departed.
The curious incident occurred on May 30 at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. Huge lines formed during pre-flight security checks, blocking the passage for other passengers rushing to board a Ryanair flight. The crowd formed at passport control because many passengers were flying to Tunisia and Morocco, which are located outside the Schengen Area.
According to passengers, the airport was in “complete chaos”; there were hundreds of passengers in the security area, and another 400–500 people were waiting their turn to go through security.
One passenger said that the screening process was disorganized. They wouldn’t even let women with children go first. “People were constantly pushing each other. You couldn’t get in line because there wasn’t one. Just a crowd of people,” the eyewitness said.
As a result, 150 passengers who were supposed to fly to London were unable to pass through security, so the plane departed without them. The airline confirmed the incident and explained that the delay in security screening was caused by a shortage of staff at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport.
According to airline representatives, the passengers who missed the flight to London were standing far from the boarding gate, so they did not board the plane. However, the passengers who made it to the gate boarded the plane and arrived in London.
The Independent reports on this.
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