EasyJet plane takes off without 29 passengers

Flight EZY6056 left the Spanish city on Saturday with the group still in the airport due to “an issue at the boarding gate”.

Hold luggage was already on the aircraft for the 9.15pm flight from Malaga, leaving passengers with only their hand luggage.

A spokeswoman said 19 caught the next available flight to Gatwick – at 10.30pm.

The other 10 spent the night in Malaga and flew to Bristol the next day.

“EasyJet is in the process of contacting and apologising to the 29 passengers who did not board their flight from Malaga to Bristol on Saturday 5 October due to an issue at the boarding gate,” the spokeswoman said.

“We have launched an investigation to understand what happened and will be offering flight vouchers and a refund of onward travel arrangements from Gatwick as a gesture of goodwill to the affected passengers.”

Altogether 110 passengers boarded the plane but a second barrier blocking the others is thought to have remained closed.

The group queued behind the barrier – and watched as the plane took off.

Iain Locke, 58, of Pensford in Somerset, said they were trapped for 20 minutes, adding: “I turned round to the guy beside me and said ‘I don’t want to alarm you, but the plane has gone’. I just couldn’t believe it. I’ve flown a lot and I know there are measures in place for the pilot and crew to check the correct number of passengers are on the aircraft. I find it unbelievable that a flight could take off with passengers missing.”