AN Edinburgh resident has shared his nightmare Storm Isha travel experience that stranded him 573 miles from home.
David Douglas's travel journey started at 11am on Sunday, when he and his party left his hotel in Dublin for what was supposed to be a 3.35pm flight to Edinburgh.
But the departure time slipped, with the flight not leaving Dublin until 11.32pm on Sunday evening.
As winds gusting to 84mph blasted the central belt, Ryanair flight FR816 tried twice to land in Edinburgh, but couldn't make it on the ground.
Douglas told The National: "The pilot tried twice to land in Edinburgh.
"The air hostess announced that we would not get into Edinburgh on this occasion and that we would be informed when it has been decided where we were going.
"The pilot came on later and said we were going to Cologne where the weather was better and that all UK airports were closed."
READ MORE: Trains across Scotland to 'shut down' as Storm Jocelyn hits – here's when
On arriving in Cologne, he described an orderly start to the unintended stay in Germany.
He said: "We were processed through passport control, who happily stamped all of our passports.
"A friendly member of the airport staff asked the assembled group if we required single or double rooms at the airport on behalf of Ryanair, who I believe were trying to arrange transport and hotel rooms."
However, the organised handling of the situation didn't seem to last long, as airport staff had to handle several diverted Ryanair flights arriving at the same time.
"For a large number of the Dublin group neither transport nor hotel rooms materialised", he said.
"However it appeared that a number of people from the Shannon flight and families were found transport and accommodation."
He explained how passengers adapted to their temporary new home, saying: "Several enterprising individuals found ways of charging our phones using the vacant USB ports on the check in desk monitors until security came and told us we couldn’t do that."
David himself tried to create a temporary bed, saying: "I rolled up my jacket beside one of the check in desk luggage belts and between them made a makeshift pillow for a few hours."
Homeward bound… pic.twitter.com/ExvUr15ZL6
— David Douglas (@DavidDouglasEDI) January 22, 2024
The morning after Ryanair organised a flight from Cologne to Edinburgh in order to bring some stranded passengers back.
By the end of his journey, a full 28 hours had elapsed, during which he couldn't manage to sleep.
Douglas said he would investigate compensation from the airline, as no offer to cover the cost of food or drink consumed in Dublin or Cologne was given.
Of Ryanair's support in Cologne, he said: "In speaking of my own experience, there was no Ryanair support on the ground for a large number of people.
"The Ryanair desk at Cologne did not appear to have any answers for [travellers on the Dublin-Edinburgh flight], who figured it out for ourselves."
On how it felt to return to Edinburgh, he was simply grateful.
"It was good to come down without a bump!"
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