Insider was told that the plane took off with no flyers on board.
Staffing problems and delays were felt across the UK.
Two passengers told Insider that they were turned away at the end of the process.
People who couldn't get on the plane took the flight without passengers.
The flight was supposed to leave at 8.20 pm on Monday, but was delayed due to delays at British airports.
It took off two hours late. Two people who didn't get on the plane were told by Vueling that the plane was empty.
The parent group IAG did not respond to multiple attempts to speak to them.
The departure gate was where passengers could see the plane, but nobody was allowed on.
—Kate Duffy (@kate__duffy) June 1, 2022
Gupta said that a staffer at the airport told her and other passengers that there was a personnel shortage.
Ryan Westman told Insider that his wife was also told the same thing. Both he and Gupta showed Insider proof that they were booked to fly on the plane.
The situation at the airport was chaotic and no communication was given to passengers in writing.
They were told to wait for the emails, which did not arrive until Wednesday afternoon.
Gupta said that they found out their flight would be delayed when they got to the airport.
She told Insider that she and her husband checked in online, but had to queue to check their luggage. She said the process took four hours.
Gupta was told that nobody could get on the plane due to staff shortages.
She said that staff told them that the pilots decided to fly the plane back empty because of Florence airspace closing.
She said that people were not offered food or drinks and that she only saw three staff members.
After arriving at the airport at 3 p.m. on Monday, we had to wait around for a staff member to give us details about all the flights that had been canceled.
She said that she was told to watch her email for contact from the airline and that she and her husband booked themselves into a nearby hotel.
She said they had spent over $300 on their flights.
Westman said that he and his wife waited four hours to check their bags.
Passengers had to pass messages from Vueling to each other. He said his wife was told that the plane left empty-handed to reach Florence.
Many European airports were hit by staff shortages and an increased number of flyers. This has resulted in long lines at the airport and ruined journeys on a large scale.
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