Passengers were left stranded on board an easyJet flight from Glasgow to Southampton for hours after strong winds forced the plane to divert away from its original destination. The incident, which occurred on the evening of December 17, marked the start of the holiday season for many travelers, transforming what should have been a straightforward flight.
The aircraft, Airbus A319 designated flight EZY409, aborted its landing attempt when it was just 120 meters above Southampton Airport due to the rough weather. Instead of touching down, the pilot made the decision to divert to Bournemouth Airport, about 30 miles away. This sudden change came after the plane had circled Southampton for around 15 minutes, searching for safer conditions to land.
Passengers, already feeling the pressure of holiday travel, faced yet another layer of frustration as they remained on the plane for approximately two hours at Bournemouth. They felt the frustrations mounting as communication about the next steps was scant. Owen Cranston, a 26-year-old broadcast engineer passenger, shared his experience, stating, "You’re just sat there laughing, you can’t do anything about it really. I was one of the lucky ones, I have family contacts down here," he recounted, but noted the plight of others on the flight. "The older couple I was sat next to, they had their car in the Southampton Airport car park. They were Bournemouth locals who had to stay the night and get the train back to Southampton to pick up their car—completely wasted journeys.
Cranston, flying south for family Christmas gatherings, remarked on the windy conditions as they took off, expecting challenges during departure rather than arrival. Yet it was precisely when they reached Southampton’s airspace where the weather proved problematic.
The flight was already significantly late, prompting hope for timely communication or alternative arrangements to facilitate disembarkation. Yet when passengers were finally informed—around 9:20 PM—they were left with little choice but to abandon their luggage and disperse. local regulations limited quick airport return options for both Southampton and Bournemouth as both facilities were closing for the night.
Following the disembarkation, chaos ensued at Bournemouth Airport. According to Cranston, "The bag carousel not being on was the final stroke of bad luck and the point where we thought this is ridiculous now." Passengers soon realized their bags would not be immediately accessible; instead, staff manually handed out luggage, prolonging the inconvenience.
The experience ignited discomfort among flyers, as easyJet struggled to maintain clear communication throughout the ordeal. An easyJet spokesperson confirmed the situation, contextualizing the incident with safety and regulatory concerns: "Due to strong winds, flight EZY409 was required to divert to Bournemouth... Some customers wished to disembark and all remained on board as we looked to make arrangements with the airport. Unfortunately, local regulations did not allow this, which forced us to disembark everyone on board right there.[...] We would like to apologize to customers for the inconvenience caused by the diversion and delay."
To alleviate some of the trouble caused by their diversion, easyJet confirmed they would reimburse passengers for alternative travel plans necessitated by the unexpected stop. Despite the airline’s efforts, tempers flared as travelers processed the hours spent without clarity, and passengers like Cranston conveyed disappointment, “If they went ‘right, we can’t do this, let’s get you all off right now’ or had very quickly went back to Southampton, we’d all be annoyed but it’s one of those things.">
This incident served as both frustration and reminder of the challenges inherent to holiday travel, particularly when unpredictable weather adds complications to fixed travel plans. With UK airports grappling with winter conditions, passengers are left wagering their chances against delays and diversions as the holiday season heats up.
