A group comprising 45 individuals, including six adults and 39 children aged between 13 and 15 from Oliveira de Azeméis (Aveiro), found themselves stranded after their return flight to Porto was canceled following their participation in the Adolescents’ Jubilee in Rome, which concluded on Sunday.
“They were actually on the plane, but the flight did not depart. Last night [Monday], after numerous complaints, they were accommodated in a hotel. This morning, the airline picked them up from the hotel and left them at the airport,” stated Hélder Ramos, the organizer of the trip, to Lusa.
Ramos expressed frustration, accusing the airline Wizz Air of abandoning them. He remarked that the daily flights were already fully booked, and the only option suggested by the airline was a flight scheduled for May 6, which was deemed unacceptable.
“We said this was impossible and demanded a solution for today. They then told us we were on our own and should seek alternative solutions through other airlines and request a refund for the return journey,” added Hélder Ramos.
He further described the challenge of managing the situation, mentioning that they spent the entire morning in meetings searching for solutions. They eventually secured flights for Wednesday with another airline at prices higher than the original round-trip cost, with the parish initially covering the expense.
Explaining the alternative travel arrangements, Hélder Ramos said the return journey would involve two flights from Rome to Madrid, Spain, one in the morning and another in the early afternoon, followed by a bus trip to bring the group back to Portugal.
Lusa also spoke with Alexandre Costa, one of the chaperones with the children, who indicated the next night would be spent at the airport despite an offer of accommodation. Costa stated, “We chose to stay here and accept meal vouchers because we don’t even have clothes to change into. It makes more sense to remain at the airport.”
Alexandre Costa also noted that some children in the group have health issues, such as epilepsy and asthma, but assured that the situation was under control. “Any risk would be tomorrow [Wednesday] morning, but things are managed for now. We’ve been informed of a nearby pharmacy with necessary supplies, and we may visit it shortly,” he mentioned.
The situation similarly caught off guard a group of scouts from Vila das Aves, in Santo Tirso (Porto), who also attended the Adolescents’ Jubilee in Rome.
On Monday, 11 children aged between 7 and 12, accompanied by three adults, boarded a plane expecting to reach Porto. However, after an hour, they were asked to disembark and left without support at the airport, as described by Rafael Lopes, one of the group leaders, to Lusa.
“The [airline] Wizz Air only responded because the police insisted. In front of the police, they promised dinner, hotel accommodation, and a flight today. Once the police left, their promises were retracted. They provided meals and hotel stays, but we must book another flight ourselves, and a refund, if any, may be uncertain. Alternatively, we could wait until May 2 or 3 for a flight, though not as a single group. Meanwhile, some children are running out of medication, and especially the younger ones miss their parents,” recounted Rafael Lopes.
Rafael Lopes also shared with Lusa that he contacted the consular emergency office: “They told him the ambassador was monitoring the situation and nothing else,” he lamented.
Separately, a widespread power supply disruption affected Portugal and Spain on Monday from 11:30 AM, lacking an official explanation from the authorities.
The blackout caused airport closures, transportation and traffic congestion in major cities, and fuel shortages.
The distribution network operator, E-Redes, confirmed this morning that the service has been fully restored and normalized.
