Jet2 passengers were left standing in a stairwell for up to 40 minutes waiting to board their plane – but the aircraft took off without them
Ashlie Blakey Live and breaking news reporter and Kirstie McCrum Network Content Editor
17:03, 19 Jan 2026
The plane, and the passengers’ luggage, took off without them(Image: MEN)
Passengers at Manchester Airport were left ‘gobsmacked’ when a Jet2 flight to Spain took off without them.
The Alicante-bound flight departed, leaving dozens of passengers stranded in a stairwell this morning (Monday, January 19). Despite having their passports checked and boarding passes scanned by the airline’s staff, the holidaymakers were left waiting in the stairwell for up to 40 minutes, clueless about the situation.
They believed they were waiting for a staff member to open the doors leading to the stairs to the plane or a bus that would transport them to the aircraft. However, the plane took off without them.
The group of at least 35 passengers was later informed that there had been an ‘error on the stairwell directions’. The airline has apologised to the customers and stated that they are treating the incident as a ‘matter of urgency’.
Matt, from Denton, who was scheduled to travel on the LS879 flight to Alicante at 7am, expressed his shock over the incident. He claimed that Jet2 staff had told him that such an occurrence had ‘never happened before’, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Passengers for the Jet2 plane waiting in the stairwell where they were ‘left behind'(Image: MEN)
Matt recounted to the Manchester Evening News how he and his son arrived at the airport punctually, navigated through security, and made their way to the gate with plenty of time when their flight was announced. After the first half of the plane’s passengers were called for boarding, the number range for Matt’s seat was announced.
He explained: “So we’ve all come to the terminal and everybody’s gone through from 26 to 40, then they called the rest of us. We’ve all gone through to the gate and boarded.
“But instead of carrying on onto the plane, there were some stairs so the herd mentality is that we all went down the stairs and followed each other. There was a lot of us.
“And then we’re thinking ‘why aren’t these doors open’. We thought a bus would come for us and take us to the plane.
“We were there for 10 minutes, 20, 30, then we thought ‘what’s going on’. We were literally stuck like caged animals.”
According to Matt, an airport worker then approached from the runway to inquire about the situation. He reportedly informed the passengers ‘the plane’s gone’.
Matt said he was told that staff do not conduct a headcount once passengers have boarded the plane. “I am gobsmacked at the fact they don’t do a headcount.
“That plane is at least 36 people light, it’s bizarre. You’d think the captain would ask if they had a full flight.”
The stairwell were the passengers were left waiting(Image: MEN)
Matt revealed that he and fellow passengers had received a £10 voucher from Jet2 whilst awaiting information about their rescheduled flight to Alicante. “There’s lots of elderly here as well”, he noted.
“I’ve got my son here who suffers from anxiety and I’ve brought him to take him away. It’s like an episode of Fawlty Towers, you’ve never seen anything like it.
“They’re saying now that there should have been the red rope to divert you onto the plane but that wasn’t, so everyone just went down. It’s unfathomable. I don’t even think this has ever happened before.”
A Jet2 spokesperson responded: “We are aware that flight LS879 from Manchester to Alicante departed without some customers this morning, and we are investigating this as a matter of urgency with the airport. Our team are looking after these customers, and we have already arranged for them to take other flights to Alicante today.
“We would of course like to apologise to these customers.”
