Holidaymakers flying to the Greek party island of Zakynthos with TUI were left disappointed when their plane had to turn back mid-flight because the airport at their destination was ‘not operational’.

The flight had been delayed at Cardiff Airport for more than five hours before it finally departed on Friday evening. Passengers were informed mid-flight that they would have to return to Cardiff because Zante airport was closed for the day, leaving them more than 2,000 miles from their intended destination.

A man from Cardiff, whose wife was on the plane with her boyfriend, shared their experience. He said: “My wife and her boyfriend were really looking forward to their holiday.

“It was supposed to be a short holiday, flying out today (Friday) and back next Tuesday. But the flight was delayed for five hours before it took off, and when they were in the air – I think they were over Poland – they were told over the loudspeaker that they had to turn back.”

Zakynthos International Airport, the only airport on Zakynthos, clearly states on its website that “aircraft are not allowed to land or take off at night”. One disgruntled holidaymaker pointed out that this fact should have been made clear to TUI when their flight from Cardiff Airport was delayed.

“My wife is very, very upset,” he told Wales Online. “Her friend had to answer the phone because she was so upset about everything. TUI should be responsible for what they are doing. They should know – I know – that Zante doesn’t have planes landing at night. That’s standard procedure because it’s a small island.”

He continued, expressing his frustration: “A lot of this stuff just gets swept under the carpet and that’s just wrong. It’s our hard-earned money. I’m now looking at flights for them from Bristol tomorrow (Saturday) which will cost another £300 plus, but apart from that it’s a day and a half of their holiday gone. I also feel sorry for the other passengers. After I spoke to my wife’s friend, people were crying on the plane and were absolutely disgusted by what was happening.”

Commenting on the incident, Cardiff Airport CEO Spencer Birns said: “Unfortunately there is a global IT issue affecting key services which has resulted in some delays at Cardiff Wales Airport today. It is disappointing that the flight from Zante has experienced a long delay and we can confirm that the flight departed but sadly returned to Cardiff this evening.”

The Mirror and Wales Online have contacted TUI for comment. Wales Online has been informed that TUI is contacting passengers directly and that its dedicated customer service line will be open from 9am tomorrow to help with alternative arrangements and inform customers of their rights.