Passengers were left frustrated when their easyJet flight was cancelled after boarding the plane as the destination airport "refused point blank" to remain open any longer.
The pilot onboard the flight from London Gatwick to the Isle of Man told travellers that air traffic control at Ronaldsway would not stay open to allow the flight to land.
One passenger said the flight had been delayed until 7.30pm which would mean the Isle of Man airport would have been required to extend its opening times to accommodate the plane’s arrival and then return to the UK.
The plane was due to take off at 6.05pm last Thursday but following the delay, passengers were later informed that it has been cancelled.
Passengers were left frustrated after their easyJet flight was cancelled after boarding the plane as the destination airport 'refused point blank' to remain open any longerRichard Hoare/ PARegular flier James Morgan said the issue over extending the airport times has been an ongoing problem.
In a video clip on the cancelled flight on Thursday, the pilot can be heard saying: "Unfortunately, the Isle of Man air traffic control in the tower there are refusing to hold the airport open longer than the curfew time of 9pm.
"Quite often we can get an extension. Tonight (Thursday) they’re refusing point blank so there is no way we’ll be able to get you there, get turned around and get out of there before the airport closes.
"I’m afraid we’re going to have to de-board the aircraft, I’m terribly sorry. We would like nothing more than to get you where you need to be."
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It is not the first time the airport has caused controversy - two flights were diverted midair two weeks ago after the airport announced it was closing meaning the aircrafts would not be able to land.
Morgan - who flies out to a client in England generally on a Sunday night or Monday morning - said flights are usually cancelled and consistently late.
"I know easyJet are delayed from Gatwick but we are at the mercy of big airports like Gatwick. They have vastly bigger amounts of traffic with only one runway," he told Isle of Man Today.
"The Isle of Man airport has a devil may care attitude to easyJet. It seems to be obvious now that the Isle of Man airport won't allow any flights to the island after 7pm."
He added that the easyJet app failed to manage the disruption for two hours but could later rebook his flight for the following morning and received a voucher from the flight operator.
It is not the first time the airport has caused controversy - two flights were diverted midair two weeks ago after the airport announced it was closing meaning the aircrafts would not be able to land
Richard Hoare
Morgan said: "I'm used to it by now but not happy about it, But there are elderly people there who were confused and not able to use the app and quite confused about what they should do next.
"There were also tourists on the flight and it's not good look for the Isle of Man."
Airport bosses say the issue has been caused by staff shortages and the need for air traffic control staff to have breaks.
An easyJet spokesperson said: "We can confirm that flight EZY842 from the Isle of Man to London Gatwick on September 12 was unable to operate due to delays to the inbound flight caused by adverse weather and air traffic control restrictions, which meant it was not possible for the aircraft to depart before the airport’s curfew.
"While this was outside of our control, we are sorry for the inconvenience caused and we did all possible to minimise the disruption for our customers, providing the option of a free transfer to an alternative flight or a refund and hotel accommodation and meals for those who required them."
