Latest news with #NikolayStefanov
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Ryanair passenger drops to her knees in tears after being denied boarding over large luggage
A Ryanair passenger was brought to tears after being denied boarding her flight because her luggage was too big. 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. 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 from behind a glass door that separates them from the weeping woman. Still determined to board, she starts banging on the door and asking for help as her pleas grow louder and more staff quickly surround her. Exhausted from her efforts, the woman is seen dropping to her knees while tears stream down her face. 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 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 drew 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 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. '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 oversize bags receive a bonus of around 1.50 euros ($1.75) per bag. 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. Originally published as Ryanair passenger drops to her knees in tears after being denied boarding over large luggage
Mint
7 hours ago
- Mint
Ryanair passenger breaks down after being denied boarding over luggage size
A Ryanair passenger was reduced to tears and dropped to her knees after being denied boarding at a Bulgarian airport due to an oversized piece of luggage. The incident, which occurred on July 24, was captured on video and has since gone viral. The video shows the female traveller trying to squeeze her luggage into a holdall at the airport. Despite being informed by staff that she would need to pay an extra baggage fee as the bag did not meet size requirements, the woman refused and insisted she could make it fit, according to the New York Post. Read | Nora Fatehi breaks down at airport as she heads out of India after cryptic post After multiple attempts, she eventually managed to force the bag into the holdall. However, airport staff still refused to let her board the flight. In tears, she pleaded with police officers while dozens of passengers watched from behind a glass door. Witnesses said the woman began banging on the door and calling for help as more staff surrounded her. Exhausted, she eventually collapsed to her knees. The footage was recorded by Nikolay Stefanov, who described the scene as escalating quickly. He said the woman had pleaded with other passengers not to leave without her, but airport officials reportedly threatened to cancel the flight if they didn't board the shuttle bus. Fearing further disruption, passengers complied and left. Read | Indian woman appeals to MEA after getting 'stripped' by male officer at US airport over power bank in handbag According to Stefanov, many were shocked by what they described as a lack of compassion from staff, who still refused the woman entry even after she managed to fit her bag. The incident drew the attention of Bulgaria's Parliament. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov ordered an investigation, calling the staff's conduct 'outrageous'. He directed officials to review airport CCTV footage and said the main ground handling operator would face the 'highest fine' along with a verbal warning. In response, the airport maintained that its staff had 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 ground handling company said. Read | 'Scariest flight ever': Indian woman recounts ordeal after being stuck in Kuwait amid Iran-Israel conflict The incident comes amid growing criticism of Ryanair's baggage policies. Earlier this month, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary confirmed that the airline pays bonuses to agents who spot and charge passengers for oversized bags. '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, adding that the company follows an 'aggressive' policy on excess luggage. Agents reportedly receive a €1.50 (£1.28) bonus per oversized bag they flag.
Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Ryanair passenger collapses in tears, begs staff after being denied boarding over luggage
A viral video shows a Ryanair passenger sobbing on her knees and pleading with the airline staff after she was not allowed to board the flight because her luggage was too big. The clip, which gained attention online, shows the passenger trying to fit her bag into a holdall at the Sofia Airport in Bulgaria. As other passengers watched from behind a glass door, the woman fell to her knees and wept as she continued pleading. (Facebook/Nikolay Stefanov) But when it became clear that the bag won't fit, she was told to pay extra but she refused and insisted that she could make it fit. She then tried to force the luggage to fit it by slamming and eventually it worked. However, the staff who watched this go down were not willing to let her board the plane. That is when the passenger had a full meltdown and began pleading with the border police to allow her on the flight. As other passengers watched from behind a glass door, the woman fell to her knees and wept as she continued pleading. She began banging on the door and continued to plead loudly. 'She was pleading with us not to leave, but we were threatened that the entire flight would be cancelled if we didn't get on the bus, so passengers became frightened and left,' Nikolay Stefanov, the witness who recorded the incident, said. He claimed that the woman's actions left fellow passengers in shock, and they could not believe how the staff showed her no compassion. Goldair Handling Bulgaria stated that their staff acted 'professionally and without any physical contact' with a passenger seen in a shocking viral video. The incident comes after Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary recently confirmed that agents who charge for oversized bags earn a $1.75 bonus per bag. Speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland, O'Leary defended the policy, calling excess baggage a 'scourge' and saying the airline may raise the commission. With flights mostly full, only half of Ryanair passengers are allowed two bags; the rest must stick to one due to space constraints, he explained.
News18
19 hours ago
- News18
Ryanair Passenger Breaks Down As Airport Staff Refuse To Let Her Board Flight Over 'Big' Luggage
Last Updated: A female passenger broke down and dropped to her knees after being denied boarding her flight because of excess luggage. The incident is being investigated. A Ryanair passenger broke down and dropped to her knees after being denied boarding her flight because of her large luggage. A viral video showed the female passenger attempting to fit her luggage into a holdall in a Bulgarian airport on July 24. The passenger was told by airport staff that she would have to pay for extra baggage after it was clear that her bag would not fit. However, the passenger refused, insisting that she could get it to fit, according to the New York Post. After several attempts, the passenger barely managed to fit her bag, but the airport staff still refused to let her board the plane. After this, the passenger broke down in tears and pleaded with police to allow her on the flight, while dozens of passengers watched from behind a glass door. The passenger started banging on then door and asking for help as more staff quickly surrounded her. The woman soon became exhausted and dropped to her knees. Shoutout to the @Ryanair crew and border police at Sofia Airport for dealing with a extremely dangerous passenger fast and smooth. Big respect to the young lion from @Ryanair, this airline never disappoints. — една българка (@transbulgaria) July 25, 2025 Nikolay Stefanov, the witness who recorded the distressing ordeal, said the situation 'escalated quickly." She said the passenger was pleading with other flyers not to leave, but officials threatened that the entire flight would be cancelled if they did not board the bus, so they became frightened and left. Stefanov said fellow passengers were shocked by the staff's lack of compassion, as they refused to allow her to board the flight because of her oversized luggage. Meanwhile, the viral video caught the attention of Bulgaria's Parliament, as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov ordered an inspection of the airport's security cameras to probe the 'outrageous" behaviour during the ordeal, according to local media reports. Karadjov said the leading ground operator would be identified and receive the 'highest fine" and a verbal warning following an investigation into the incident. However, the airport said its 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. The shocking viral video comes as Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary confirmed earlier this month that its agents who identify and charge for oversize bags receive a bonus of around 1.50 euros ($1.75) per bag, citing the company's 'aggressive" policy of eliminating passengers with excess baggage. '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. view comments First Published: July 29, 2025, 07:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Dramatic moment Ryanair passenger sobs as hand luggage row sees her banned from flight
Dramatic footage from Sofia Airport in Bulgaria shows a tearful woman brought to her knees in distress, having reportedly been told her hand luggage was too large A Ryanair passenger ended up sobbing after she was stopped from boarding a plane. Dramatic footage from Sofia Airport in Bulgaria shows a tearful woman brought to her knees in distress. She was seen banging on a door in frustration, begging security staff to allow her onto the plane. According to online reports, the incident took place on July 24 and involved a flight from Sofia to Vienna, Austria. Witness Nikolay Stefanov explained that the drama unfolded when staff working on behalf of the airline told the woman that her bag was too large. She claimed that it fit into the sizer, prompting an argument with gate staff and then the would-be passenger to turn to her fellow flyers, urging them not to leave her at the gate. Have you had issues on a Ryanair flight? Email webtravel@ to tell us your story "She was pleading with us not to leave, but we were threatened that the entire flight would be cancelled if we didn't get on the bus, so passengers became frightened and left," Nikolay said. "What shocked me most was the utter lack of compassion from the staff member, who looked right through the woman with complete indifference. Even though they could have resolved the problem, they simply refused." He claimed that the staff member attempted to confiscate the phone of a customer who was filming the incident. According to eyewitnesses, the woman's bag was a centimeter larger than the requirements, Boulevard Bulgaria reported. Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov has ordered an inspection of the airport's security cameras following the incident, Bulgarian news site reports. He reportedly condemned the "outrageous behavior of the employee of the ground operator". "Instead of making an effort to reduce the tension during these peak travel months, he contributes to escalating emotions and treats her rudely," he added. "Everyone agrees that the ground operator has not fulfilled its obligations to the required level." A spokesperson for Goldair Handling Bulgaria, which provides the ground handling services for several flights operating out of Sofia Airport, insisted that the employee acted "professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger". In a statement provided to BNT News, the company said: "All rules regarding passengers' baggage, its permissible size and the fees payable for baggage are determined solely, entirely and unilaterally by the airlines, and 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, which fees are determined by and are entirely for the benefit of the airlines. "The employee only complied with the rules and procedures of the airport operator and the airline, indicating the permissible dimensions of the baggage and checking for compliance with them. They acted professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger." Ryanair's hand luggage rules have long been a point of tension for passengers. The budget airline allows for passengers to fly for 'one small personal bag', free of charge. However, it must be sized 40cm x 20cm x 25cm and 'fit under the seat in front of you'.
