Bournemouth Airport passengers miss Ryanair flight to Venice

Furious travellers have described chaos at the airport earlier today with queues snaking all around the front foyer.

Despite arriving hours early, 'around 25 people' still missed their flight to Venice due to a ‘severe lack of staffing and horrendous organisation’.

Holidaymakers have also slammed airport staff as ‘appalling and unsympathetic’.

Harrison Brodie, 25, had been looking forward to a trip to the floating city with his mum, Karen, and sister.

They arrived at 5.30am - with ‘plenty of time’ to catch their 7.30am Ryanair flight – and drop off their bags.

However, when they got to security, the queue was ‘huge’.

Karen and Harrison Brodie (Image: Harrison Brodie)

Harrison said: “It basically was running all the way around the front foyer, past the check-in desks. It was mayhem.

“There were hundreds of people that were there, they had like five flights leaving within an hour and a half window.

“So, we got in the queue. And it's moving incredibly, incredibly slowly.

“And we finally got to the front of the queue. And they suddenly called and put out the final boarding call for Venice at 10 to seven.

“Then they make the call and the guy who's behind the security shouts, ‘anyone for Venice?’ and there's about 25 of us who put our hands up.

“And he's suddenly trying to get trays out, try and get everybody through.

“We get through security within two minutes. And we run to the gate.”

However, it was too late.

Bournemouth Airport (Image: Harrison Brodie)

The 25-year-old who grew up in Bournemouth said there had only been one lane of security – with a second opening ‘right towards the end’.

He added: “It was as if they don't have responsibility to get their passengers through security and through the airport and time to catch their flight.

“I completely understand that, obviously, the airlines have to have rules of when they can shut the gates, but the organisational and the cost…

“I mean, the customer service is absolutely shocking.

The theatre stage manager added: “I mean, there were families literally stranded at the gate there trying to book other flights.

Harrison and his family managed to book an alternative flight from Gatwick later today – ‘costing over £400’.

He added: “I feel just frustrated more than anything… incredibly angry, obviously, because when we got to the gate, they'd already loaded the bags on the plane.

"So, they then had to hold [the flight] while they unloaded 25 people's bags off the plane. The flight was delayed anyway.

“Through the windows, we could see people queuing on the tarmac when they shut the gate. So, there was a big queue on the tarmac, and they wouldn't let us board.”

Harrison added: “They need to hold their hands up and say, ‘We messed this up’.

“Their problem is a severe lack of staffing at the airport.

“If the airport doesn't have the capacity, then Ryanair should know.

“I just think it's I think it's absolutely shocking.”

The Daily Echo has contacted Bournemouth Airport and Ryanair for comment.