A family including their daughter with disabilities found themselves trapped at Alicante Airport for a ten-hour period after EasyJet workers walked out.

Paul Morris, aged 54 and from Brynmawr, had arranged to meet his relatives at Bristol Airport at approximately six in the evening on June 27 last year.

He did not manage to collect them until the following day in the early hours, after they had spent roughly ten hours stranded awaiting their aircraft.

His foster sibling, Teri Lorna Ford, died in November 2025, but Paul regards her as essentially his sister and is angry that his family must revisit this distressing experience while pursuing compensation from the airline.

He stated that his parents own property abroad where they have holidayed for two decades, and his sister adored visiting because of the warm climate and swimming pool, which helped with her joint pain, and her expression would brighten at the mere mention of Spain.

His sister had no disabilities at birth but suffered physical abuse during childhood, resulting in profound disabilities that led to her joining their household.

When the family were scheduled to return to Bristol from Alicante, Spanish EasyJet employees walked out over pay disparities compared to their British counterparts, leaving them confined to the terminal.

They submitted a compensation request, which was turned down. They subsequently filed nine additional claims, bringing the total to ten, and each was dismissed without any justification.

During this period, Lorna, who had significant disabilities, grew distressed, and the family lacked access to appropriate changing areas, compounding their difficulties.

Paul said the situation caused her considerable anguish because she remained in wet clothes for the entire ten hours due to the absence of changing facilities.

His mother would typically change Lorna on the toilet floor but it was flooded with water so she could not do so.

Despite her disabilities, Lorna possessed considerable intelligence and was aware when something was wrong or when she looked unkempt, and she would communicate her displeasure.

Upon returning home, they applied for compensation, and Paul said the company’s approach was the most difficult aspect. They ignored emails, and he considers their behaviour completely unacceptable.

Lorna died last November from health complications, and the family must now revisit this dreadful memory while fighting for compensation.

Paul noted that his parents have to keep sending claims with full details. Ten months after the incident occurred, four months after his sister’s death, they must endure recounting that terrible day alongside their grief.

It was her final flight, yet they are forced to keep reliving those events.

An EasyJet representative stated that Mr Morris and his family’s flight from Alicante to Bristol in June 2025 experienced delays because of industrial action by Spanish cabin crew, which was entirely beyond their influence.

The airline did everything possible to reduce disruption resulting from the strike and supplied customers on the delayed flight with vouchers for use at the airport.

They expressed deep regret about this family’s airport experience, stating it fell short of the service standards they aim to provide customers, and would be raising the matter with the airport’s special assistance provider.

Since the information originally supplied contained errors, their customer support team could not process the compensation claim and requested the correct flight details so they could handle the case and provide the family with the compensation owed.

They maintained they will always pay compensation in accordance with regulations when it is warranted.