More than 30 passengers on a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Zadar in Croatia were taken to hospital after the cabin depressurised and the plane made an emergency landing in the German city of Frankfurt, media reported on Saturday. Among the 189 passengers on board, some reportedly bled from their ears.
The airline said oxygen masks were deployed and the crew carried out a “controlled descent”. The plane descended 8,000 metres from 11,300 metres in seven minutes, according to Flight Radar.
“Customers were provided with refreshment vouchers and hotel accommodation was authorised, however there was a shortage of available accommodation,” media quoted Ryanair as saying.
However, a number of passengers criticised the way the airline handled the situation. “Overnight in military base camp beds – good old Ryanair style customer service,” tweeted a passenger named Paul Wiseman. “Cutting costs and more profit for Ryanair all at the expense of customer safety.”
Minerva Galvan, a Spanish passenger, accused the airline of abandoning them at the airport.
Another passenger, Sarah McGarry, who was travelling to Zadar for a holiday with her boyfriend, told media that her eardrum burst during the descent. However, she did not go to the hospital because she was not told if she would be able to get on the rescheduled flight.
We cannot take a plane, @Ryanair. We had an emergency landing yesterday. We are abandoned at the airport. We need help, we need to rest. This is how you care about your customers?#Ryanair pic.twitter.com/P6vM0Fowvr
— Minerva Galvan (@Maingd) July 14, 2018