Several flight attendants on a Ryanair flight from Fez in Morocco to Barcelona were injured when turbulence suddenly struck, leaving one of the flight attendants with potentially serious spinal injuries. But the Moroccan flight attendant was allegedly left without treatment because a Spanish hospital couldn’t verify her insurance details.
The allegations have been made by the SITCPLA cabin crew union which claimed one of the flight attendants remains in hospital awaiting treatment because Ryanair has failed to provide the required documentation. While on duty, it would normally be the responsibility of the airline to cover medical expenses for injured crew members.
Ryanair denies the allegations, saying it has been providing all necessary support for the injured flight attendants, including medical treatment.
In a series of tweets, the union said the most seriously injured crew member was left alone at the hospital while the three other flight attendants were sent to a hotel without any kind of medical monitoring.
In one Tweet, the union detailed how a crew member who was suffering from “severe” headaches following the turbulence was told by the hospital that she would have to pay if she wanted treatment.
The union also shared a series of photos of the injured crew members being transported in the back of an ambulance. One of the flight attendants is being transported on a stretcher. Another photo shows how the turbulence ripped the tights of one of the flight attendants.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Ryanair slammed the union saying: “These claims by the SITCPLA union are false. Ryanair has provided full care and assistance including medical treatment, accommodation, expenses and support.”
Mateusz Maszczynski honed his skills as an international flight attendant at the most prominent airline in the Middle East and has been flying ever since... most recently for a well known European airline. Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. Always keeping an ear close to the ground, Matt's industry insights, analysis and news coverage is frequently relied upon by some of the biggest names in journalism.