Scottish tourists who arrived in Portugal last Wednesday were left in disbelief after a passenger booked on their flight again flew to Bristol.

Those boarding flights to Faro were left waiting on the tarmac as easyJet staff spent an hour trying to locate passengers.

Their displeasure over the delay to their stay eventually turned to surprise when those waiting were informed that the woman, who was supposed to be in need of special assistance, had been put on the wrong flight.

Passenger Ryan McCormick says Live in Glasgow that even before he got on the plane, he “knew something was wrong”.

“One of the support staff was looking for someone and asked for the names of all the elderly female passengers. We all got on and waited for a taxi on the tarmac.”

McCormick added that the captain later told them there would be a delay due to a missing passenger.

“Half an hour later, we were told that they still had not found her and that the security staff could not find her at any of the stations. We were delayed for another 45 to 50 minutes and had police in and out of the plane.

“The pilot told us that the company was handcuffed and the plane could not leave until they found the passengers. [and] 20 minutes later we were told she was at Bristol Airport.”

The flight took off after several delays for the woman’s luggage to be removed from the plane and screened. She was eventually put on a flight to Faro after being found at Bristol Airport.

McCormick questioned how these things could even happen, asking: “How can you lose someone and how does this person get on a separate plane without Have a boarding pass?

“If she was traveling with an employee, I would assume they had her passport. How is it possible to end up in the wrong country?”

In a comment to independenceAn easyJet spokesman confirmed that “a passenger boarded the wrong plane at Glasgow Airport on Wednesday 10 May and was headed to Bristol. As soon as they realized this, they were scheduled to fly from Bristol to Faro, their original destination. Passengers were taken care of by our team throughout.

“The safety and well-being of passengers and crew is always easyJet’s number one priority. We are currently investigating with the airport and their concierge provider as well as our ground staff in Glasgow how passengers boarded the wrong flight.

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.”