'Madness' as Northampton family of 32 stranded in 'prison camp' hotel in Turkey following UK airplane chaos

A family of 32 from Northampton say they are stranded at a ‘prison camp’ hotel after hundreds of flights have been hit by cancellations.

Travel disruption could last for days after flights were cancelled leaving thousands of passengers stranded following an air traffic control technical fault.

Holidaymakers were hit by bank holiday travel delays, which started on Monday after a UK air traffic control failure meant flight plans had to be input manually by controllers.

The Sweeneys, from Northampton, got in touch with this newspaper after their TUI flight back from Antalya, Turkey to Birmingham was cancelled at 2am on Tuesday (August 29).

The family, which has an age range from two to 60 years old, headed out to Alanya, Turkey 10 days ago for dad Peter’s 60th birthday. However it has now turned into the holiday from hell for the family who are staying in emergency accommodation at The Sky Hotel, about 30 minutes away from the airport.

Peter Sweeney Jr, aged 26, said: “It was madness at the airport, people were crying. We knew something was wrong. Every flight on the screen going to the UK kept being cancelled. Everyone started to wonder what was going on. We were literally left there with no one telling us what was going on. The worst part was they shut all the shops in the airport. No drinks, no food, nothing. It was madness. People were fully rowing. The kids were going mental.

“We’ve then got to the temporary hotel and it’s like a prison. It’s not a hotel. It’s like a prison camp. We’re not allowed to bring food in for the kids. The food that’s here is shocking. It’s just mad. We were speaking to the security guards who were literally laughing at us – no care in the world.

"The TUI rep hasn’t got a clue what’s going on, just like the company. TUI is ignoring our phone calls and cutting the phones off.

“The TUI rep has given everyone different answers. He said to us that we will go tomorrow, which hasn’t happened. We’ve now had an email saying they’ve extended our stay until tomorrow.”

TUI has been contacted for comment.

Peter estimates that there is around 860 rooms at the hotel which he believes have all been filled by TUI and Easy Jet passengers affected by cancellations.

“We’ve been giving money to people in the who have used all their money for all inclusive hotels and have got kids and have nothing. It’s crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” he said.

"We know they’ve got problems with the airports but the issue is the way we are being treated in this hotel. Every person in here will give you the same story.”

Coby Benson, flight delay compensation solicitor at specialists Bott and Co, said: “Airlines and airports can be hit by a range of problems, including strikes and technical issues, that can result in flight delays or cancellations.

“This can have a huge knock-on effect for passengers who are forced to either wait for their booked flight or seek an alternative mode of transport.

“Airlines have a duty of care to provide things such as refreshments and even overnight accommodation if the delay is long enough.

“Whatever the reason behind the cancellation of your flight you are always entitled to either a free replacement flight or a full refund on your ticket, so it’s important to know your rights.

“You can always check with a flight compensation specialist to discover if you may be due a payout to make up for having to put up with the inconvenience during your well-earned break.”