Vienna Airport apologises to 'abandoned' Scots

An Austrian airport has apologised to a Scottish family who were left "abandoned" by Ryanair after their flight to Edinburgh left without boarding disabled passengers.

Katie Brown, 25, who uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy, along with her father Graeme and his wife Vikki, told how they were left "stranded" in Vienna on Friday without luggage or vital medication.

The family told BBC Scotland News they were left to book accommodation and an alternative flight home, leaving them thousands of euros out of pocket.

A Vienna Airport spokeswoman said "irregularities" occurred due to a failure of the airport's wheelchair service but added that the airport would fully reimburse the family for their additional costs.

The family were offered seats on the next available Ryanair flight home.

However, they were told this would not be until five days later, on New Year's Day, meaning they would miss Katie's 26th birthday celebrations on Hogmanay.

Instead, they paid for a Jet2 flight home on Sunday.

The airport spokeswoman said: "Due to a failure of Vienna Airport's wheelchair service, the passengers were brought to the aircraft late, and their luggage was not offloaded. We deeply regret this incident.

"The passengers were promptly escorted by Vienna Airport staff from the departure gate to a service counter, where an alternative flight was offered at the airport's expense. However, this offer was declined by the passengers.

"Vienna Airport will fully cover the additional costs incurred due to the passengers flight rebooking and the luggage that was not offloaded."

The family, who had enjoyed a "lovely" Christmas break in the Austrian capital, said their flight home was initially delayed by two hours due to a technical fault.

They said they were escorted by airport assistance staff to a gate along with an 84-year-old solo passenger, who was also in a wheelchair.

After the staff failed to show up to board them, they were told the flight had been cancelled.

They later learned it had taken off without them and the solo passenger.

Graeme Brown told BBC Scotland News his family were given "quite an interrogation" by passport control staff when they checked in for their replacement Jet2 flight home.

He said the security system showed the family had been stamped as leaving Austria on Friday.

Mr Brown also said Jet2 staff later described the non-removal of their luggage from the Ryanair flight as "a major security breach".

According to flightstats.com the initial flight left Vienna almost two hours and 40 minutes behind schedule, and landed almost two-and-a-half hours late.

Ryanair policy states that passengers could be entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed by three or more hours.

The family said the airline denied any liability for the incident, instead blaming the airport's special assistance staff.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said: "Special assistance at Vienna Airport is provided by Vienna Airport's special assistance provider – not Ryanair.

"Unfortunately these passengers were brought to the gate late by the special assistance provider at Vienna Airport and as flight boarding was already closed these passengers missed their flight."