Travellers, including some who had booked package holidays, were forced to book their own accommodations as the airport and local hotels were overwhelmed. Many spent nights in the airport due to a lack of available rooms.
TUI informed passengers of the delays via email and attempted to reschedule flights. Affected travellers received updates indicating that flights were rescheduled for up to 51 hours later than originally planned. The airline has promised to reimburse reasonable expenses and is offering refunds and vouchers for future travel.TUI issued a public apology for the inconvenience and stated that passengers could expect delays and cancellations throughout the weekend. The airline assured that it would process refunds and provide compensation to those affected.
This long delay on a TUI flight was matched by a similar delay on TUI fly Belgium flight TB3581 from Naples to Brussels via Palermo on the same date (July 19).