An Irish youngsters’s author was among the many three particular help passengers left sitting of their wheelchairs on the tarmac when an EasyJet flight took off — with their baggage.

Liz Weir, writer of Increase Chicka Increase and Right here, There and In every single place, advised the Belfast Telegraph that she arrived at Belfast Worldwide Airport early for her June 21 flight to Edinburgh, as she makes use of a wheelchair as a consequence of a coronary heart situation.

“A woman in a high-viz jacket got here and took me and one other wheelchair person all the way down to the runway as passengers started boarding on the gate,” Weir, 73, advised the Belfast Telegraph.

“We waited for everybody to get on and thought it was our flip subsequent, however then the steps had been taken away from the aircraft and so they closed the doorways.”

The writer, who was anticipated to talk at an occasion in Edinburgh, Scotland, defined, “I’m in my seventies, I’ve a coronary heart situation, and I don’t want the stress – and belief me, once you see your aircraft reversing with out you on it, it is rather tense.”

And whereas the aircraft left with out its passengers, it did depart with their baggage.

“Attempting once more on a flight leaving at 8:50. It’s unhealthy sufficient when a bus leaves you on the cease however when a jet leaves you on the tarmac….how usually do folks say ‘they gained’t go with out us!’ Besides they did!” Weir wrote in a put up on X, the platform beforehand referred to as Twitter, the place she additionally shared a photograph of herself in a wheelchair on the airport.

As she advised the Belfast Telegraph: “We had been sitting there waving and screaming to the pilot. However he shook his head to say no and simply saved shifting off with my suitcase within the maintain.”

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In a press release shared to PEOPLE, EasyJet mentioned, “We’re very sorry that flight EZY55 from Belfast to Edinburgh on 21 June departed with out three passengers who had been being accompanied by the airport’s particular help supplier. This was as a consequence of a misunderstanding by our floor dealing with group and crew onboard.”

“We did all attainable to help the passengers, arranging for flights to Glasgow and Edinburgh later that night to get them to their vacation spot as rapidly as attainable and our group taken care of them all through, offering refreshment vouchers whereas they waited for his or her new flight.”

The assertion continued: “We’re sorry for the influence this disruption could have had on their plans and are involved with them to apologise for his or her expertise, reimburse their flights and any bills incurred because of the delay, and supply the compensation they’re due.”

“All of the able-bodied folks had been on board and we had been left behind,” Weir advised the Belfast Telegraph.

“What else may you name it apart from discrimination?”