Hayley and Mark Lees opted to return to the UK by road after discovering that their heavily delayed easyJet flight was canceled (Picture: Hayley Lees). A couple is embarking on a 1,000-mile car journey back to the UK from southern France after their significantly delayed easyJet flight was canceled. Hayley and Mark Lees have taken matters into their own hands after spending eight frustrating hours at Nice Airport waiting for their Liverpool departure. Late last night, they departed in the darkness towards Calais without any overnight accommodation or Channel crossing reservation – eventually finding a hotel near Lyon. The couple is among the thousands of travelers who have been affected by the ripple effect of yesterday’s disruption in the UK air traffic control systems, despite the problem having been resolved. At one point, a flight tracker app estimated a 13-hour delay to EZY3472, which was supposed to depart at 4.35 pm yesterday from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, before ultimately being canceled. The Lees are returning home to Hull from a four-day easyJet vacation in Monaco, where Mark had arranged a surprise birthday celebration for his wife.
Hayley and Mark rented a car to drive the entirety of France after finding themselves stranded at Nice Airport with no overnight accommodations (Picture: Hayley Lees). ‘It was terrible,’ expressed Hayley. ‘They canceled our flight at around 9 pm, and there wasn’t a single person in the airport who could assist us. There were no flights as the passengers from previously canceled flights had taken the available seats, and there were no hotels. We attempted to contact easyJet because they are obligated to help us, but the lines were constantly occupied, and the call got disconnected. There were support staff members at the airport, but when we stood in line, the lady asked, “Can you return in 10 minutes? I’m stressed.” Mark decided to rent a car, and we drove off into the dark without knowing how we would cross the Channel. We searched for flights, trains, and ferries but found nothing.”
The couple has made some progress on the open roads during their long journey back to the UK (Picture: Hayley Lees). The Lees have resorted to their own resources for the lengthy road trip back to Hull (Picture: Hayley Lees). The couple was returning from a short trip to Monaco when they became caught up in the air traffic disruption (Picture: Hayley Lees). Hayley, 48, mentioned that friends from Hull whose Jet2 flight did depart from Nice to Manchester last night will soon arrive in Calais this afternoon to swiftly pick them up. By the time they reach home, the Lees will have traveled 1,000 miles by road, spent £880 on car rental, excluding petrol and tolls, and been on the move for nearly two days. Their departure was one among hundreds of flights to and from the UK that were affected by a technical issue requiring air traffic controllers to manually input flight plans.
‘As we were driving towards Calais, I was searching for hotels and ways to cross the Channel through the night using Google,’ Hayley recounted. ‘I was simply looking at the navigation system while searching via roads and managed to secure a room in Valence near Lyon at 2.30 am. So, we got five hours of sleep before hitting the road again. Due to Brexit regulations, we cannot take this car across the Channel. Therefore, the plan is for our friends to meet us at the Eurotunnel terminal in Calais, and we will join them in their car to return to Hull. I sobbed upon discovering that they were able to board their flight. I was so relieved.’ Hayley, a retired school support worker, stated that the couple received an email from easyJet this morning, offering them a flight on Saturday and a hotel in Cannes, located 16 miles south of the airport.
Passengers wait in line at Manchester Airport on August 29 as issues persist following the air traffic control glitch (Picture: Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP). The scene at Birmingham Airport on August 29 as flights continue to face disruptions caused by the rectified air traffic control issue (Picture: SWNS). ‘I’m glad we didn’t wait as we both have family commitments,’ she stated. ‘We would have had to sleep overnight on the airport floor and make our own way to Cannes while keeping the receipts for reimbursement. Meanwhile, Mark has already lost a day’s work. I’m praying that we will receive compensation or insurance, but my heart goes out to those who cannot afford other options to make their way home.’ The consequences of yesterday’s system failure have extended into this morning and are expected to persist for several days. In a statement yesterday afternoon, National Air Traffic Services declared, ‘We have identified and resolved the technical issue affecting our flight planning system this morning. We are now working closely with airlines and airports to manage the affected flights as efficiently as possible. Our engineers will closely monitor the system’s performance as we return to normal operations.’
Thousands of passengers have been impacted even after the resolution of the air traffic control issue (Picture: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS). Following the cancellation of the couple’s flight last night, easyJet responded to a request for comment from Metro.co.uk. A spokesperson stated, ‘The failure in the air traffic control system affecting UK airspace has led to ongoing disruptions to flights to and from the UK, including the Lees’ flight from Nice to Liverpool, which has unfortunately been canceled. We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of the disruption, providing customers on canceled flights with options to transfer their flight free of charge or receive a refund, securing hotel accommodations for customers when possible, and advising those who book their own hotels that they will be reimbursed. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew are our top priority, and though these circumstances are beyond our control, we apologize for any inconvenience caused.’ Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact [email protected]
Read more: ‘We have to endure a 1,000 mile drive after airport chaos – it’s horrendous’
