"Stop the Plane Now": Furious Passengers Occupy Runway After Immigration Delays

At Marseille Provence International Airport in France, passengers who missed their flights due to delays in immigration inspection caused a commotion by rushing onto the runway in an attempt to stop a departing passenger plane.

On April 21 (local time), British media outlet Daily Mail and French broadcaster BFM Marseille, among others, reported that controversy erupted after Ryanair flight FR2640, which was scheduled to depart Marseille Provence Airport for Marrakesh, Morocco, on the 18th, left without boarding some passengers.

On the evening of the 18th, approximately 80 passengers who failed to arrive at the boarding gate on time due to delays in immigration checks at Marseille Provence International Airport occupied the runway. TikTok @laprovence_

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The flight was originally scheduled to depart at 10:30 p.m. However, due to delays in immigration inspection, a significant number of passengers were unable to arrive at the boarding gate on time, causing disruptions to the operation. The aircraft postponed departure by over three hours, but eventually took off at around 1:50 a.m. the next day, leaving some passengers behind. According to local reports, approximately 80 passengers-specifically, 83-were unable to board the plane. Around 30 enraged passengers crossed into the airport's secure area and ran onto the runway in protest.

Video footage from the scene showed passengers shouting vehemently at airport staff on the runway. Some passengers waved their arms in an attempt to stop the departing plane, and one passenger was reported to have shouted to the pilot, "This is wrong." Amid the chaos, a female passenger was arrested by police on suspicion of activating the airport's fire safety system, which further exacerbated the confusion at the scene.

The airport and airline explained that the boarding process was disrupted due to delays in immigration inspection. However, they stated that further delaying the flight could have caused issues with operational regulations and crew scheduling, making departure unavoidable. The airport said, "There were operational obligations, such as the aircraft needing to be stationed in a specific country overnight or crew members having to be at designated locations the next day," and thus, the flight had no choice but to depart as scheduled.

The background of this incident is also believed to be related to newly implemented immigration control procedures at major European airports. The European Union has recently been rolling out a new entry and exit system for non-EU travelers, requiring the registration of biometric information such as fingerprints and facial photos. This has raised concerns about potential delays in immigration inspection at several European airports, including Copenhagen and Malaga. Marseille Provence Airport is currently investigating the exact circumstances of the incident, as well as reviewing the responsibility for the immigration delays and the adequacy of the on-site response.

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