Birmingham holidaymakers tell of delight as flights begin
Apr 22 2010 by Emily Bridgewater, Birmingham Mail
CONFUSED holidaymakers have told of their relief at finally being allowed to fly from Birmingham International Airport following the chaos of the volcanic ash crisis.
Thousands of passengers flocked to airport yesterday in the hope of catching delayed flights and to ensure they did not miss any rescheduled ones.
Many said they had been given several different times for their flights and claimed they had not been properly informed by tour operators and airlines.
Andre Anaude, aged 22, and Nikki Raouna, 23, from Willenhall, feared they might never fulfil their dream of emigrating to Cyprus after their flight last Friday was cancelled.
But their fortunes took a turn for the better yesterday morning when Monarch confirmed their flight to Lanarca would be one of very few departing in the afternoon.
Mr Anaude said: “We’ve been given three different times for the flight but we’re just so relieved to have checked in and feel like we might be getting somewhere.”
Maureen and Keith Clements, from Rugby, Warwickshire, said they were delighted to be among the lucky few passengers checking in yesterday for their flight to Pathos in Greece.
Mr Clements said: “We are both extremely relieved.”
Tears of despair turned to tears of joy for a Black Country family whose hopes of embarking on the same flight appeared doomed, not because of volcanic ash, but the expiry of their children’s passports.
But Pelsall couple Melvin and Lisa Wheeler were allowed to fly with his parents Charlie and Sheila Edwards and their children Amber, Joe and Molly as long as they return a day earlier than scheduled.
“We are over the moon,” said Melvin. Meanwhile, recriminations flew about the Government’s handling of the crisis.
All UK airports reopened but many services were cancelled yesterday, with Ryanair flights due to start again at 1pm today.
A leading holiday company chief said the Government’s response to the crisis had been “a shambles”, but CAA chief executive Andrew Haines said he “made no apologies” for UK airspace being closed for so long and added that any inquiry into the crisis would support the CAA’s actions.
Peter Long, chief executive of Tui Travel which includes holiday companies Thomson and First Choice, said: “The Government’s response to the crisis has been a shambles.
“It is clear that they under-estimated the severity of the consequences of the decision for a blanket closure of the airspace for such a protracted period of time.”
