What was supposed to be a routine three-hour Ryanair journey from London Stansted to Tirana reportedly spiralled into a chaotic 12-hour ordeal involving severe weather, two diversions, furious passengers and an allegedly drunk traveller.
Flight RK8288 departed on June 3 but ran into thunderstorms affecting Tirana. The aircraft was first diverted to Brindisi, Italy, where passengers reportedly spent hours on the ground.
When the flight finally took off again, travellers believed they were heading to Albania.
But just minutes before landing, passengers were reportedly told they were actually approaching Thessaloniki, Greece, after another thunderstorm forced a second diversion.
That was reportedly when tempers exploded.
According to a passenger account cited by the Daily Mail, a group of angry men began heckling the captain from outside the cockpit, shouting: “He’s a coward, the pilot needs to come out and face us like a man.”
Around a dozen passengers then allegedly demanded to leave the aircraft in Greece, insisting: “There’s no way you can keep us here.” Greek police were reportedly called onboard before some travellers were allowed to disembark.
But the chaos apparently wasn’t over.
During the next leg, one passenger reportedly vomited on himself, rushed to the toilet and returned shirtless. Another man, described by a source as “clearly hammered”, allegedly ignored instructions to remain seated and walked around the cabin.
A flight attendant reportedly had to physically force him back into his seat.
Passengers also complained of limited access to food and drinks during the lengthy ordeal, with travellers reportedly rationing snacks and relying on strangers before onboard refreshments were made available. Supplies eventually ran low, according to the account.
Finally, at around 5am local time, the aircraft landed in Tirana.
“Welcome to Albania,” the pilot announced.
The cabin erupted in cheers.
Ryanair said the flight was diverted first to Brindisi due to adverse weather at Tirana Airport and later to Thessaloniki because of a thunderstorm. The airline said passengers received updates through email, SMS and push notifications, and that the onboard bars were opened after 45 minutes so passengers could access snacks and refreshments.
After weather conditions improved, the flight departed for Tirana at 4:44am local time.
A three-hour trip. Two diversions. Three take-offs. And around 12 exhausting hours before finally reaching Albania.
