A Ryanair passenger was seen bursting into tears and falling to the ground in despair after being denied boarding because her baggage was “too big”.
The would-be flyer, at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria, was barred from getting aboard her flight despite successfully demonstrating that her hand luggage fit within the airline’s size requirements.
While queueing for a bus to her plane, airport staff swooped in and claimed her bag was too large.
The woman challenged them by physically placing her luggage into one of Ryanair’s controversial measuring frames, into which it fit completely.
Nevertheless, ground staff maintained their position and continued to refuse her passage onto the flight, insisting she needed to pay up to carry her excess baggage.
Eyewitness Nikolay Stefanov described how the situation “escalated quickly” as the distraught passenger began weeping and pleading with border police officers.
|
The would-be flyer was seen bursting into tears and falling to the ground in despair after being denied boarding
Video footage captured her falling to her knees and banging on the glass doors separating her from other travellers who had already boarded the bus.
The woman herself was seen filming her bag wedged inside the measurement rack while tears streamed down her face.
Staff members then gathered around the distressed traveller as her pleas got worse.
Another passenger queuing behind her was temporarily barred from boarding, with staff claiming that reopening the doors might allow the woman to try and make a dash for the bus.
Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov has launched an official inquiry after video of the incident went viral online.
MORE TRAVEL HELL:
|
Staff members then gathered around the distressed traveller as her pleas got worse
He condemned the airport personnel’s conduct as “outrageous” and pledged to examine security camera recordings from the terminal.
Karadjov has also warned that those responsible for the chaos would face the maximum fines available, alongside formal warnings.
Goldair Handling Bulgaria, the ground services provider, defended their employees’ actions in an official statement to local outlet BNT News.
“All rules regarding passengers’ baggage, its permissible size and the fees payable for baggage are determined solely, entirely and unilaterally by the airlines,” it said.
“Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is solely obliged to monitor compliance with these rules by the airlines.
|
Goldair Handling Bulgaria, the ground services provider, defended their employees’ actions in an official statement
“This also applies to hand luggage, as Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is obliged to monitor the dimensions of this baggage and collect excess baggage fees.
“[Staff] acted professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger.”
The woman’s ordeal at the hands of staff follows the reveal that Ryanair dishes out financial incentives for identifying passengers attempting to board with oversized hand luggage.
When approached by GB News after two passengers were wrongly issued a double fine for “oversized baggage”, the low-cost carrier outright denied handing its staff commission.
But a probe by The Sunday Times just days ago revealed workers earn approximately €1.50 (£1.30) for each non-compliant bag they report, with potential monthly earnings reaching €80 (£69.34) through the scheme.
