'It's a farce': Couple cancel holiday after Tui reschedules journey more than 40 hours after original departure

A husband and wife who ‘really needed a holiday’ after personal tragedy illness have had to ditch their break after 'chaos' at Manchester Airport. The pair not only saw their Tui flight delayed, then cancelled - but were then told they could only fly out to Spain at 11:30pm tomorrow night.

Phil and Dionne Royle, both 46, were due to fly to Malaga this morning (Wednesday, May 25) for their trip to Fuengirola. It would be their second trip in less than a month, but both — from Ashton — had good reasons for wanting a break, Phil said.

“We really needed this holiday,” Phil told the Manchester Evening News. “I lost a friend to suicide, my best mate [recently]. My wife has been ill, she ended up spending four nights in hospital [last time we were away].”

READ MORE:Ricky Gervais floors BBC The One Show hosts as interview takes unexpected turn

They were flying with Tui, and arrived at 3am — three hours before their flight, as airport staff advise. However, despite being there in good time, they never left British soil.

Phil continued: “We were due to fly at 6am. People got on the plane, then they got people off because there was a problem and it would be a couple of hours for a part.

“Then that part did not work, but ‘sit tight and we will update you’ [was the message from Tui]. That was four hours after. There was nothing to say other than where you could get vouchers, nothing on proposed times or contingency plans.”

Despite the issues, Phil understands that unforeseen circumstances can play havoc with schedules. The self-employed plasterer went on: “Things go wrong, but you would think they would have a policy in place to let you know.

“Everyone has been told to make your way to go to gate 10 to be released, and go back