Aircraft on the tarmac at Gatwick Airport (File photo). (Image: Getty)
A customer claims she was taken off a flight to Malta two days before after ground staff said her passport had expired.
Sue Heath, 64, from Buckinghamshire, was booked on flight 2616 from London Gatwick to Malta and had been looking forward to a Christmas break in the central Mediterranean archipelago.
But it wasn’t to be after she was allegedly asked to get off the flight just before the Airbus pushed back from the gate, Simon Calder reported for .
Though Ms Heath’s UK passport is valid for travel to Malta and the rest of the until late March, ground staff told her the official travel document had “expired”, she claimed.
Ms Heath, who has spent much of her working life in the travel industry, said: “I was told my passport was not valid for the EU.
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Ms Heath had been planning to spend Christmas in Malta. (Image: Getty)
“I had to accept their decision and sadly miss my Christmas in Malta,” she added. “I felt very humble and embarrassed that I had messed up.”
It comes after BA turned away two separate passengers from the airport in September, with ground staff allegedly misunderstanding the rules for their respective destinations, The Independent reported.
The airline acknowledged errors had been made in both cases, apologising for the disruption and vowing to resolve the customers’ issues.
Following Britain’s withdrawal from the (EU), UK passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day of entry to the bloc to travel to the EU.
They must also have at least three months remaining on the intended day of departure from EU countries. The rules came into effect in 2021, and airlines were informed of them that year.
According to the outlet, Ms Heath’s passport met both of these requirements “comfortably”.
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New travel rules have come into effect since Britain left the EU. (Image: Getty)
“The gate agent was concerned about my passport not being acceptable and initially said I could not board the flight,” Ms Heath told the newspaper.
“She tried to call her office but could not get an answer. She then looked again and said it was OK and checked me back in and boarded me again.
“I went on board, but about 10 minutes before departure, she came and asked to look at my passport again. She telephoned the office and gave them all my passport details, and my return flight travel information.
“She then said, unfortunately, I couldn’t travel, as I would have had to be out and back from Malta by 22 December 24. Then she took me off the plane.
“I came off the flight and was escorted out through passport control and customs into the arrivals hall by a BA agent.”
Ms Heath claims she went home and later that day called a BA customer service number, “but all they really could say was documentation was my responsibility and to call an embassy if I needed clarification”.
A BA spokesperson said: “We are investigating this particular case to understand why the customer wasn’t permitted to travel and are in contact with them directly to resolve it as soon as possible.”
Ms Heath is entitled to £350 in compensation for being denied boarding and a refund for her fare under air passengers’ rights rules, the outlet reports.
The Independent understands that BA is also meeting the cost of the accommodation she paid for in Malta.