Continuing chaos at an airport in the  Canary Islands has caused more Ryanair passengers to miss their flights home.

More than 60 holidaymakers travelling back to Knock Airport in Ireland ended up missing their flights due to delays at César Manrique Airport in Lanzarote. The delays have been caused by shortages of border control staff.

It’s the second time in recent weeks that Ryanair passengers were left grounded in Lanzarote while their plane took off. On July 31, 38 passengers were barred from boarding a flight to Stansted Airport. 

In both incidents, passengers have had to pay for later flights, arrange emergency accommodation at local hotels and alter their schedules on arrival. They have been advised to keep their receipts and apply for compensation.

Ryanair has defended its actions on both occasions. It said: “If the passengers had presented themselves at the boarding gate before it was closed, they would have been admitted onto the flight.”

However, passengers dispute this. They claim they joined the queue when the gate was opened and were still refused entry, reported the Lanzarote Gazette.

The airport delays have been have been highly damaging to Lanzarote’s reputation this summer. However, Ryanair is the only airline that is reported to have left passengers behind on departure.

No official solution has yet been found for the Lanzarote’s passport staff shortage. No similar delays have been reported at other airports in the Canary Islands.

Speaking after the issues back in July, one woman claimed she and “30 other people” missed their flight after “taking too long” to clear the security queue. She alleged that the delays were so severe that she was turned away at their gate because “it had been closed for further boarding.”

The Brit, who didn’t want to be named, claimed Ryanair spent approximately 90 minutes trying get their bags off the plane, resulting in the flight being delayed.

She told The Olive Press: “Families were split up and I had to get back to Stansted for cancer treatment.

“Ryanair then had to spend an hour and a half getting luggage off of the plane. Therefore we could have boarded during that time. None of us were late to the gate. Disgusting behaviour by a supervisor who made the decision.”

The disgruntled passenger added: “We were told the gate was shut. Families were not given food, or alternative flights and hotels. People are being told to sort themselves out.

“One lady had to wait for her husband and daughter to be removed off the plane as she was left with their other child and had no money on her. I was wearing a lanyard for special needs as I’m a stage four cancer patient!”

Ryanair insisted passport control had caused disruption to the flight and backed the decision not to let the large group board, claiming they had arrived when the gate had already shut.

A spokesperson said: “Due to Passport control delays at Lanzarote Airport (31 July), a number of passengers missed this flight to London Stansted.”