Holidaymaker standed after 'lightning strikes four planes'

nlnews@archant.co.uk
23 February 2006

A RETIRED holidaymaker from Highgate on a birthday trip to Spain was among hundreds stranded overnight after four Ryanair plans were struck by lightning.

Michael Harrington, 60, of Stanhope Road, and his family were asked to get off the flight from Santander to Stansted on Sunday after being told the plane had been struck by lightning and needed to be checked over.

In the terminal, the family's American friends travelling to Frankfurt and a group of Italians returning to Rome were also told their flights had been delayed as a result of lightning strikes.

It later emerged another plane had been diverted because of the inward bound strikes.

But Mr Harrington said: "We couldn't believe lightning would strike Ryanair plans as opposed to anybody else."

He said the airport had released a statement putting the delay down to "operational problems within the company".

The family, including wife Mary, and children Kate, 26, who had given him the 60th birthday trip, and son Peter, 24, flew out on Monday afternoon - more than 24 hours later.

Ryanair has insisted the planes were struck by lightning and that the flights to Rome and Stansted had to be cancelled because the planes needed overnight inspection and repair.