Adam Wyczalkowski and his friends just wanted to start their four-night getaway to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Instead, they found themselves stuck on a sweltering TUI jet on the Manchester Airport tarmac, stewing in frustration. The flight, originally scheduled to leave at 5:50 PM, had already been delayed for hours before passengers even boarded at 7:00 PM.

Inside the TUI jet’s cabin, tempers flared. “It is so hot and there is no air con on,” Adam recalled. “We were only offered a complimentary drink.” People were tired, angry, and confused. Then came the bombshell: the ground crew was gone.

“There was not a single member of staff in sight,” Adam said. The passengers learned from the captain that Swissport, the ground handling crew, had simply left—without finishing their job. Half the luggage wasn’t even loaded onto the plane. Adam said the captain broke the news plainly: “Swissport have abandoned us.”

By this point, it was approaching 10:00 PM, and the flight had no chance of taking off. According to Adam, the captain warned that because of crew hour regulations, the flight would likely be canceled. The passengers had been trapped on the TUI jet for nearly three hours.

Passengers and crew trapped on TUI Jet finally call for help

Desperate to help his passengers disembark, the captain made an unusual call. “The captain informed us they will be calling the police in order to let us disembark,” Adam said. Officers arrived and helped passengers off the plane, finally freeing the frustrated travelers.

When Adam and the other passengers stepped off the plane, they faced yet another hurdle: figuring out their next move. TUI apologized for the delay, citing “operational issues,” and promised overnight accommodations and meal vouchers for the stranded jet passengers. The airline rescheduled the flight for Tuesday, May 31, the following day.

The chaos on Adam’s flight is part of a broader travel nightmare. Across the UK, staffing shortages and operational bottlenecks last spring left thousands of holidaymakers scrambling. From canceled flights and grounded airplanes to endless queues at airports like Gatwick, Bristol, and Manchester, the holiday travel season was anything but smooth.

For Adam, though, the heat, confusion, and delays were a stark reminder of one thing: sometimes, even the captain has to call for backup.