Aer Lingus passengers complain about service during Rome delay

Aer Lingus passengers stranded in an Italian airport from more than 24 hours at the weekend have expressed anger at claims by the airline that it had offered them overnight accommodation.

The 156 passengers were due to leave Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci airport for Dublin on Saturday afternoon but were delayed because of an Italian air traffic control strike.

Airport ground staff told passengers that they would be accommodated on an Aer Lingus flight due later that evening from Dublin. However, this flight was diverted to Gatwick after a safety alert when a foul-smelling odour was detected. The odour, originally feared to be gas, is believed to have emanated from sweets brought on board by a passenger.

No further flights were available on Saturday night to carry those waiting in Rome to Dublin.

TV3 newscaster Claire Byrne, one of the passengers stranded in Rome, said yesterday no overnight accommodation and only minimal refreshment was offered. Aer Lingus did not keep passengers informed and had no representative at the airport, she added.

"To say we were given accommodation is absolutely untrue.

"People, including a woman in her 80s and several small children, slept overnight at the airport. Some of us were brought to a hotel at 9.30 this morning and managed to get showers, but then we had to return to the airport an hour or so later." Ms Byrne, who had been in Rome attending the wedding of colleague Maura Derrane to Fine Gael TD John Deasy, said passengers were not given breakfast at the hotel and were given just two snack vouchers overnight entitling them to a sandwich and some water.

"When we were told at the hotel we would not get breakfast, some people paid for a breakfast and others of us just took it. This is what we were reduced to, the situation was so undignified, inhumane and hellish."

The only time passengers spoke with Aer Lingus staff was when they demanded to speak to the pilot of the flight from Gatwick early on Sunday morning. He informed them that his crew would not be in a position to fly until later yesterday.

Fine Gael senator Fergal Browne, who also attended the wedding, said the treatment of passengers was a "disgrace".

"In many cases staff were unhelpful and information that was given about alternative arrangements then turned out to be incorrect," he said.

An Aer Lingus spokeswoman said the passengers had been offered accommodation last night, but because of the strike there were delays in securing hotel rooms. "There were problems sourcing accommodation. We spent a number of hours endeavouring to source rooms and it was well into the early hours of the morning before we got hotels."

Passengers were served breakfast in the hotels, she said. She appreciated that they may have felt ill-informed and added that the company would be reviewing its arrangements with its handling agent at Leonardo Da Vinci airport in light of the incident.