Ryanair passenger drops to her knees in tears after being denied boarding over large luggage
A video shows a female passenger attempting to fit her luggage into a holdall at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria on July 24, according to The Sun.
When it became apparent that her bag wouldn't fit, the staff explained to her that she would need to pay for extra baggage, which she refused — insisting that she could get it to fit.
4 A female Ryanair passenger was left sobbing on her knees after being banned from boarding her flight.
Facebook / Nikolay Stefanov
The unnamed passenger is seen trying to force her bag to fit by slamming and eventually getting it to fit.
Despite her successful attempt to fit the bag, staff still refused to let her board the plane.
She begins to break down in tears as she pleads with a member of the border police to allow her on the flight while dozens of other passengers watch on from behind a glass door that separates them from the weeping woman.
Still determined to board, she started banging on the door and asking for help as her pleas grew louder and more staff quickly surrounded her.
Exhausted from her efforts, the woman is seen dropping to her knees while tears stream down her face.
4 Footage shows her trying to force her bag into the luggage rack by slamming it in after being told she had to pay extra.
Facebook / Nikolay Stefanov
Nikolay Stefanov, the witness who recorded the distressing ordeal, said the situation 'escalated quickly.'
'She was pleading with us not to leave, but we were threatened that the entire flight would be canceled if we didn't get on the bus, so passengers became frightened and left,' he said.
Stefanov said that fellow passengers were left in shock by how the staff were treating her with no compassion, as they denied her permission to board the flight due to her large luggage.
The viral video garnered the attention of Bulgaria's parliament, prompting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov to order an inspection of the airport's security cameras due to the employees' 'outrageous' behavior during the chaotic ordeal, according to the Bulgarian news outlet Fatki.bg.
4 Exhausted from her efforts, the woman is seen dropping to her knees while tears stream down her face.
Facebook / Nikolay Stefanov
Karadjov assured citizens that the leading ground operator would be identified and receive the 'highest fine' and a verbal warning following an investigation.
Goldair Handling Bulgaria issued a statement in response to BNT News, insisting that their employees acted 'professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger.'
'All rules regarding passengers' baggage, its permissible size and the fees payable for baggage are determined solely, entirely and unilaterally by the airlines,' the handling company said.
4 Ryanair is 'aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage,' the airlines CEO said in a recent interview.
AFP via Getty Images
'Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is solely obliged to monitor compliance with these rules by the airlines. This also applies to hand luggage, as Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is obliged to monitor the dimensions of this baggage and collect excess baggage fees. [Staff] acted professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger.'
The shocking viral video comes as Ryanair's Michael O'Leary confirmed earlier this month that its agents who identify and charge for oversized bags receive a bonus of around 1.50 euros per bag (or $1.75).
Ryanair is 'aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage,' the CEO told RTÉ's Morning Ireland, adding that his company is 'thinking of increasing' the agent commission.
'We're flying largely full flights, about half the passengers can bring two bags and the other half can only bring one – because that's all that fits in the plane,' O'Leary said.
He is the only airline CEO to have commented on agent commissions.
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