A HOLIDAYMAKER was left fuming after being escorted out of an airport when she was refused entry to board a flight for her friend’s wedding.
Laura Burns, 44, was set to fly to Cyprus for her close friend’s wedding from Manchester Airport but her plans were thrown into disarray over a change following Brexit.
The Barrow woman spent more than £700 on the trip and the wedding but was told she could not board the flight because her passport was issued more than 10 years ago.
Following the departure from Europe, the requirements for the Schengen Area – comprising most EU countries - means passports must now be valid for at least three months after the date you intend to leave the EU country you are visiting and issued within the previous 10 years.
Her expiry date is not until October 2022 but it was issued in January 2012 - meaning it is beyond the deadline.
Ms Burns wants to advise other holidaymakers to check their passports before flying.
She said: “I got through the airport, through security and reached the other side and was waiting for my flight to board. Once it was called I scanned my passport and it said it wasn’t acceptable and I thought: ‘Oh what’s happening’.
"Someone came over to assist and he looked at it and said: ‘We can’t board you' and I was like why and they said it is invalid.
“I was shaking and was a bit of a wreck at this point. It was hard enough for me to go on a flight on my own in the first place suffering from mental health and I was really upset.
“The manager then came down and she said it was because of the new Brexit rule. I was so confused and angry about how I was about to step on a plane and I have no idea about these rules.
“She said there is nothing we could do so I was escorted out of the airport and back on a train to Barrow.”
Ms Burns said she was astounded and upset because she let her friend down and cannot claim back on insurance.
She said: “All I can think of was this isn’t right. There should be something to warn people about this.
“This hasn’t just happened to me.
“I couldn’t imagine how a family would feel if this happened to them. It’s awful.
“I urge any holidaymakers to check their passports before they fly well in advance. I’d hate it to happen to anyone else.”
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