An additional direct flight from Enfidha-Hammamet Airport to Belfast is being operated on Tuesday evening after an EasyJet aircraft due to fly the route on Saturday 23 August was grounded by a technical issue. The airline told passengers after the cancellation that no alternative flights were available for another 10 days.

Stuart McCartney, from Dromore in County Down, spent more than £4,000 on accommodation and flights to get his family of five home via Brussels, with a connection to Dublin on Wednesday. He said the pilot informed passengers that the aircraft had steering problems and was too unsafe to fly. Passengers were taken by bus to separate hotels in the early hours of Sunday. At the airport the following day, an EasyJet agent could only look at the airline’s own options and found no sooner route, he said. McCartney added that his mother, who relies on heart medication, had to monitor her remaining supply carefully. His son became distressed when told they would not return as planned, but securing an alternative journey brought relief. Passengers supported each other with transport, translation and finding routes home, he said.

Martine Murray, from Belfast, said she ran out of her COPD inhaler during the delay and is desperate to get home because her mother is seriously ill. She borrowed money for alternative accommodation after leaving the hotel arranged by EasyJet, which she described as dirty. She received an email about the cancellation but was unable to obtain further information from the airline.

Chloe McGinty, a pharmacy student at Queen’s University Belfast from County Donegal, said her mother, who has sciatica, had to lie on the floor during the long wait at the airport. The pair booked flights to Brussels and then Dublin. McGinty noted that only two flights operate between Tunisia and Belfast each week, making rebooking very difficult, and said the financial impact would be hard for some passengers who had already spent their holiday budget.

Natasha Dovbijenko, travelling with her husband and child, said the hotel provided by EasyJet had dirty bathrooms that did not work. She described being told at one point that she would be separated from her husband during rebooking, before the family eventually secured a flight to Liverpool and arranged their own onward travel to Ireland. She said EasyJet sent only a message saying it was sorry to hear the flight was cancelled and did not communicate further.

EasyJet said the cancellation was caused by a technical issue and that alternative options, including with other carriers, were very limited at this busy time of year. The airline said it was contacting customers directly about the additional flight on Tuesday and would provide onward transfers where needed. It apologised for the inconvenience.