Bristol Airport disruption enters second day after runway closure strands hundreds

Disruption caused by a runway defect at Bristol Airport has entered a second day, with flights slowly departing again after hundreds of passengers were left stranded on Friday evening. The runway was shut shortly after 18:00 BST, suspending all flights until 08:00 on Saturday. Services have now restarted, but there are still delays and diversions.

Airport officials have released no further official information about the defect. A short statement on the airport website said some disruption would continue, apologised for the inconvenience, and advised affected passengers to contact their airline.

Among those caught up in the disruption was Paul Smith, due to fly to Glasgow for his son's 20th birthday, who said he had to cancel and described the communication and support for passengers as really poor. He said there were no tannoy announcements for more than an hour, leaving EasyJet representatives in the departure lounge as the only source of information. Another traveller returning from Rhodes said he had been diverted to Newcastle after a three-hour wait in Rhodes Airport, and was then told to expect a five or six-hour bus ride, calling the whole experience a shambles.

Passengers said they had heard the problem involved a hole in the runway, though this has not been confirmed by the airport.