Ryanair has been accused of ‘forcing’ an autistic girl off a flight, leaving her stranded and ‘hysterical’ in Portugal, as cabin crew did not believe she was flying with family.
This was despite Daisy Maddock, 13, flying to Faro with her aunties, uncles, cousins and godmother on Friday, August 10, without any problem.
Her mother, Michelle Maddock, 32, of Kirkby-in Ashfield, was unable to fly with her, as she had suffered a bleed on her brain shortly before the family was to travel to celebrate her mother’s 60th birthday in the Algarve.
Worried Michelle Maddock with her daughter Poppy Jarvis, holding a photograph of her then-stranded daughter Daisy
Happier times: Michelle Maddock with her two daughters, Daisy, 13, and Poppy, eight
As the teen was still keen to go, the budget airline asked for her to bring a letter of permission from her parents, and a copy of her mum and dad’s passports.
But when Daisy was about to board yesterday, to return to East Midlands Airport a week later, she went through an upsetting ordeal, which meant she was stranded for ‘hours’.
Her horrified mother said her daughter was left ‘hysterical’ as she was forced off the plane at Faro.
‘I am really angry and upset. I want to comfort my daughter and I can’t. It does not make any sense,’ said Michelle Maddock
Fighting back tears, she said yesterday: ‘My daughter Daisy boarded the flight with the rest of my family with no problem until 10 minutes before the flight was due to take off.
‘A lady working for Ryanair came up to my daughter and told her they believed she had gotten on the plane without an adult and she must get off the plane – but an adult has to go with her.
‘After my family members explained the situation – showing them the documents I was told to send – she came back with a security guard who forced my daughter off the plane.
‘My 13-year-old is autistic and was absolutely hysterical. Her 70-year-old godmother was made to leave the plane with her.
‘My daughter was absolutely terrified and is now stranded at Faro airport. I have tried for two hours to get hold of Ryanair with no luck.
A spokesman for Ryanair said that Daisy flew back to England later on Friday
‘I am really angry and upset. I want to comfort my daughter and I can’t. It does not make any sense.
‘I would understand going out of this country but they won’t let her go back to her own country.’
A spokesman for Ryanair said: ‘Children under-16 years of age are not permitted to travel unaccompanied. In this instance, the child was booked on two separate bookings for the outbound and return flights.
‘While we regret any inconvenience, as no other adult was travelling on the return booking, she could not travel on the flight.
‘As a gesture of goodwill, the child and an accompanying adult were moved on to another booking on the next available flight, which departed to East Midlands later that day.’