French tourists still stuck at the airport

For almost a week now, passengers have been stuck at Madeira airport (Portugal). They are forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor, due to a series of cancelled flights and the end of their holiday which is turning into a nightmare. “We are stuck on an island far from home, left to our own devices”laments a French tourist on site.

Several flights have been cancelled due to the very strong winds, because for a plane, landing on the runway stuck between the ocean and the mountains is sometimes perilous. Some aircraft cannot land on the island. Passengers denounce airlines that do not offer them any solution. Some have to buy new tickets, pay for hotel nights at a time when prices are at their highest. A European directive requires airlines to reimburse all additional costs.