Passengers to be given compensation after TUI delayed then cancelled flight from Doncaster Sheffield Airport due to aircraft 'not being servicable'

The TUI flight from Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) to Antalya, Turkey was set to depart at 6.55pm last night.

Passengers were initially told the flight had been delayed until 10pm, before being told it had been pushed back another hour until 11pm.

Some of those affected have complained that the airport’s only restaurant is a branch of Wetherspoons, which quickly ran out of food, after passengers flocked to the pub to redeem the £5 food voucher given out by the airline.

Holidaymakers were forced to wait at the airport, which some described as being ‘freezing cold,’ until late into the evening before being told that the flight would not be departing until the following day.

Passengers were subsequently taken to two Doncaster hotels in coaches, and were informed today that the flight would be cancelled.

A TUI spokesperson said the flight was cancelled because on ‘this occasion the aircraft was not serviceable to fly,’ and added that ‘all impacted customers have been provided welfare and accommodation and are entitled to EU 261 compensation’.

The spokesperson added: “We would like to apologise for the inconvenience to customers due to travel on flight TOM646 from Doncaster to Antalya today which was delayed due to an operational issue.

“Unfortunately, due to the length of the delay, which was set to go beyond 72 hours, we felt the impact to customers holiday was too great and took the difficult decision to cancel the flight. All customers will receive a full refund within 14 days.

“We understand how disappointing and frustrating this is and we do apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

The airline said it has also contacted customers directly to advise them on how to claim their compensation.

A spokesperson for Doncaster Sheffield Airport said they are ‘deeply sorry’ passengers ‘did not receive the usual easy, friendly, fast customer service usually associated with us and our team’.

The spokesperson added: “We continue to strive to provide a consistent and reliable operation for our customers and passengers and are disappointed that this was not the case in this instance.”