Bristol Airport has suspended all flights after a defect was discovered on the runway, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded overnight and into the morning. The airport said operations were temporarily halted as a precaution to inspect and repair the affected section, but travellers described the situation as chaotic, with poor communication and overcrowded terminals.
Passengers describe 'hostage situation' and poor communication
Paul Smith, a passenger trying to travel for his son's 20th birthday, criticised the airport's handling of the crisis. 'The communication, advice and support for passengers has been really poor,' he said. 'What we've heard is that there's a hole in the runway.'
Posts on social media showed stranded passengers demanding to be let out, with some describing the scene as a 'hostage situation'. Richard Broadbent, another passenger, told the BBC: 'Suddenly all flights were cancelled and all passengers were moved to one place down at ground level, and it was absolutely packed. Then alarms started going off, people were screaming and passengers were trying to break out, there was no staff.'
Arrivals diverted to other airports
Arrival flights are being diverted to London, Birmingham, and Cardiff as the airport works to resolve the issue. A Bristol Airport spokesperson said: 'Due to a defect on the runway, we have temporarily suspended operations as a precaution, in order to inspect and repair the section affected. We apologise for any inconvenience. Safety is always our number one priority. Customers should refer to their airlines with any flight queries.'
Baggage chaos at Birmingham Airport
Meanwhile, Birmingham Airport is also facing disruptions, with passengers reporting significant baggage delays. Eve Sandle told the BBC she had travelled to Turkey with her mum and had been left 'with only the clothes we are standing in'. Another passenger described the situation as 'utter carnage'.
A Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: 'We are continuing to experience an issue with our baggage systems which is impacting some outbound luggage. Engineers are on site and working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. Terminal colleagues are also working hard to ensure baggage in terminal is being processed as quickly as possible. We expect this to cause inconvenience for some passengers, and we sincerely apologise for this. Those due to travel today, should still arrive at the airport in line with Airline advice.'
