Bristol Airport suspended all flights on Friday night and into Saturday morning after staff discovered a defect on the runway.
The airport cancelled all flights until at least 6am while repair work took place. Nearly 50 arriving flights and 14 departures were affected, with incoming planes diverted to London, Birmingham and Cardiff.
Richard Broadbent told the BBC that his partner and daughter were stranded at the airport while attempting to fly to Newcastle. He said passengers were moved to a packed ground-level area before alarms began sounding.
"Suddenly all flights were cancelled and all passengers were moved to one place down at ground level, and it was absolutely packed," Broadbent said. "Then alarms started going off, people were screaming and passengers were trying to break out, there was no staff." He added that he could hear people screaming over the phone.
Passenger chaos and lack of communication
Passengers reported little communication from airport staff, with no announcements on the tannoy system for over an hour. EasyJet representatives were reportedly the only airline staff present in the departure lounge, warning travellers to expect significant disruptions.
Furious travellers complained about being left stranded without guidance. One passenger wrote on X: "EasyJet holding everyone hostage at Bristol Airport! Let us out! Let us out! Communication is appalling."
A second passenger claimed to have been locked in the gate 26 toilets after asking why the flight was cancelled. A third traveller reported being stuck in the airport for three hours without clear information.
One parent posted on X that their daughter's EasyJet flight from Dubrovnik to Bristol was cancelled without staff present to assist, adding that she was directed to the website to book a flight to Gatwick without mention of a hotel. Another passenger said their flight was diverted to Newcastle, hours away from Bristol.
Airport statement and recent disruptions
A spokesperson for Bristol Airport apologised for the inconvenience and stated that safety is their top priority. "Due to a defect on the runway, we have temporarily suspended operations as a precaution, in order to inspect and repair the section affected," the spokesperson said, advising customers to check with their airlines for flight updates.
The incident follows another disruption to UK aviation on Thursday evening, when a grass fire at London Heathrow Airport forced the temporary closure of one of its runways.
