E-Paper
Airline flies man to Sweden instead of France
A professional surfer who thought he was on a plane to France was shocked when he discovered he was about to touch down in Sweden after bungling Ryanair staff put him on the wrong flight.
A professional surfer who thought he was on a plane to France was shocked when he discovered he was about to touch down in Sweden after bungling Ryanair staff put him on the wrong flight.
A probe was launched Saturday into how Toby Donachie ended up more than 1,200 miles from his planned destination - sparking a security scare, The Sun reported.
He had booked a flight from Stansted, London, to Biarritz, France, with Ryanair.
But the departure gate was changed at the last minute and he was shepherded onto a plane to Malmo, Sweden instead.
Toby, 19, only realised he was heading to the wrong place when the pilot told passengers they were cruising over Denmark, the newspaper said.
The teen, from Cornwall, said: "Half-way there, there was a call saying 'We're flying over Denmark'.
"The cabin crew just felt really bad for me when I told them. They were worried about me and super helpful.
Toby - who was put up in a hotel and given a new ticket to Biarritz by the airline - said the incident raised questions about the security of Ryanair's boarding procedures.
Stansted Airport said the responsibility for checking passengers at the gate and onto planes lay with airlines.
