Passengers on a flight bound for Manchester Airport were were forced to spend a night in Tenerife after a staffing issue.
The TUI flight from Cape Verde was due to land in the UK on Friday evening. Shortly after leaving the archipelago, holidaymakers were informed the plane would have to stop as its cabin crew had reached the maximum hours they are legally allowed to work.
The flight was diverted to Tenerife so a crew change could happen but, upon landing, passengers say they were faced with an "empty" airport.
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"It was really frustrating," said Richard Salkeld, who was on board the flight.
"There was no TUI rep at the airport. Even the immigration officers were asking why we had landed.
"It was very surreal. The communication and co-ordination from TUI was embarrassing. We were not told where we were going.
"It was very disorganised and chaotic. There were about 150 of us and some people were visibly distressed and trying to organise plans back home."
When a replacement cabin crew could not be sourced, the flight was delayed overnight. Mr Salkeld and his fellow passengers were taken to hotels on the island, where they spent the night. TUI says it arranged hotels and transport for all passengers, as well as providing them with food and beverages.
The flight eventually left for Manchester on Saturday afternoon. Mr Salkeld, from County Durham, had been for a four-night break to Cape Verde but said the experience had "tinged" his holiday.
"We are quite confident travellers but even we have found it challenging. A lot of people have found it a stressul experience, especially those who had other arrangements in place. People have missed work today."
A spokesperson for TUI said: "We understand the frustration of customers on flight TOM439, who were delayed overnight in Tenerife. Our teams have been in contact with customers, provided them with transport and overnight accommodation, food and beverages.
"We do our best to ensure customers get to and from their destinations on time, and we’d like to apologise for this inconvenience. Situations like this are rare, and we thank customers for their patience and understanding."
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