Elderly couple who need wheelchairs 'abandoned' on plane for HOURS after landing at Manchester Airport

An elderly couple have vowed never to fly again after claiming they were 'abandoned' on a plane for nearly three hours upon landing at Manchester Airport. Bill and Shirley George, from Bury, say they found themselves stuck on the empty jet after it arrived from Malaga shortly after midnight on Thursday (May 19).

The married couple, who are both in their late 80s and require the use of wheelchairs, said they remained in their seats after cabin crew promised someone would come to help them get off the plane. After all the other passengers had left, Bill and Shirley say they were left in their seats as the cabin crew and pilot disembarked.

When no one turned up for another 45 minutes, Bill, who suffers from mobility problems, says he was forced to leave the plane in search of assistance. "It was horrendous," he said.

"They just left us on the plane and we were stranded. There was us and another four passengers, but nobody came to help."

Airline TUI has blamed 'limited ground handlers' because of a delay to the flight.

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Bill, 87, and Shirley, 88, were returning to the UK following a two-week holiday on the Costa del Sol. They say their journey home had already got off to a bad start when, upon arriving at Malaga Airport, they discovered their flight had been delayed.

The TUI flight eventually left for Manchester at 10pm - 11 hours behind schedule. After the plane landed, Bill and Shirley say they stayed seated while the cabin crew and pilot left the plane.

After becoming fed up of waiting, Bill said he decided to take matters into his own hands and got off the plane to go and look for a wheelchair. "The airport