A family from Stockport have described the scenes at Tenerife airport following a massive air traffic control failure, which left them sleeping on military-style camp beds INSIDE the airport.
Thousands of Brits have seen their journeys cancelled and are still waiting for new flights home following a network-wide technical issue that put the UK’s entire air traffic control system offline on Monday.
The National Air Traffic Services warned that the disruption “could last days” — and, for now, that certainly looks to be the case.
Stricken passengers and airlines have been left scrambling to find hotel accommodation for those affected by the travel chaos.
That’s included sleeping in hotel lobbies and in airport lounges, including the scenes seen at Tenerife Airport, where tired, hungry and frustrated would-be fliers were temporarily housed along rows of military-style camp beds, as terminals have been turned into temporary bedrooms and living spaces.
Sight like this are fairly common at most airports.This one is less so.People are sleeping on benches, floors and even military camp beds at airports like Tenerife TFS. (Credit: Bruno Sanchez-Andrade Nuño/Natalie Wood)
Stockport local Natalie and her family were set to travel home from a holiday in Tenerife and arrive back at Manchester Airport in the early hours of Monday 28 August. However, after hearing about all the travel drama at the reception of their hotel, they later received an email from easyJet informing them that their flight had been cancelled.
“We booked direct with easyJet but there was no communication directly to us, we just received the email saying the flight has been cancelled and there was no holiday rep [to help] and no one who spoke English for us to communicate with,” she explains.
“We tried to call customer service but got cut off, so we were left unsure even if the coach scheduled to take us back to the airport was going to pick us up.”
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Thankfully, their coach did arrive, but after apparently queuing for 45 minutes to board and arriving at the airport, they were then told by an easyJet employee to go back to the hotel whilst they waited to be assigned to a new flight.
“It was at our expense as they stated there were rooms available but when we returned there wasn’t any and when we asked for food vouchers, they said we weren’t allowed and were then told by easyJet to get on our transfers.”
Natalie went on to explain how they had to settle for sitting on the airport floor and how her daughter had to re-wear dirty clothes from the holiday after all the travelling back and forth. Even after the medics arrived with the camp beds, along with some blankets, fruit and water, they obviously prioritised children, the elderly and people with disabilities first.
Fortunately, there were just enough beds for her and her family to use, but with Natalie and her family facing being in Tenerife until the next flight on Friday, it’s not the most comfortable of circumstances.
So like so many others in the same boat, the family have had to make alternative arrangements.
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“We have had to lend money from family to get us a BnB till Friday and a car rental because our flight lands us in Edinburgh and we’ve still heard no news from easyJet,” she said.
Sadly, their story is just one of countless Brits stuck abroad and those who were scheduled to fly out from the likes of Manchester and other airports are now heading home and simply looking to cancel bookings and get their money back.
The Manc has approached easyJet for a comment.
The airline has been sending some ‘rescue flights’ to various locations across Europe and said in an update that they have been “providing customers with assistance and hotel accommodation and advising anyone who has needed to make their own hotel or alternative travel arrangements that they will be reimbursed.”
At present, they are running a total of “five repatriation flights” from Palma, Faro, Tenerife, Enfidha and Rhodes to London Gatwick this week and have said, “We are also operating larger aircraft on key routes including Faro, Ibiza, Dalaman and Tenerife to provide some additional 700 seats this week.” Meanwhile, the press surrounding our local airport has gone from bad to worse in the last 24 hours or so…
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Pretty grim reading for Greater Manchester holidaymakers for the second year running. 😬✈️https://t.co/J16EMibOQJ
Doja Cat at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
One of the 2020’s leading female artists, Doja Cat, is heading to the UK for a stop on her newest tour and has chosen to host it at Co-op Live in Manchester.
American recording artist Doja Cat is making her long-awaited return to Manchester and an arena debut, with this artist’s first and only visit to the city being back in 2024, headlining Parklife.
Heading to the UK as part of her Ma Vie World Tour, the California-born star is recognised for her spellbinding performances, extravagant outfits and array of UK Top 40 hits.
Not afraid to blend genres, Amala Dlamini, better known by artist moniker Doja Cat, has lent her voice to rap, hip-hop, pop, R’n’B, and now 80’s synths on her newest LP, Vie.
Gig guide | Doja Cat at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doja Cat is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester for one night of her Ma Vie Tour / Credit: Publicity Picture (Supplied)
Doja Cat UK tour dates
Sat 23 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tues 26 May – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Fri 29 May – London, UK – The O2
Are there any tickets left for Doja Cat at Co-op Live?
Do you ‘Need to Know’ about grabbing tickets to see this multi-hyphenate performer live? Well, you’re in luck…
After seeing this iconic ‘Woman’ live on stage in Manchester? Well, if I’ve got your ‘Attention’, you can find tickets and more info HERE.
All you ‘Need to Know’ about Doja Cat’s Ma Vie World Tour in Manchester / Credit: Greg Swales (Supplied) / The Manc Group
Doja Cat setlist for 2026 UK tour
Lipstain
Cards
Get Into It (Yuh)
Kiss Me More
Gorgeous
Couples Therapy
Take Me Dancing
Woman
Acts of Service
Agora Hills
Make It Up
All Mine
Ain’t Sh*t
Paint the Town Red
Silly! Fun!
Juicy
Need to Know
Streets
Wet Vagina
WYM Freestyle
Demons
Tia Tamera
AAAHH MEN!
Boss B*tch
Stranger
Happy
One More Time
Say So
Jealous Type
What are the stage times for Doja Cat in Manchester?
Doors for Doja Cat’s Ma Vie Tour at Co-op Live in Manchester are set to open from 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 7pm from one very good warm-up act.
Supporting the rapper and performer on her UK and EU leg of the tour is alternative-r&b artist Naomi Sharon with singles like ‘Better Days’ and ‘Bittersweet’.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Beloved Greater Manchester-born presenter Judith Chalmers has died at 90
Danny Jones
Well-known Greater Manchester native and beloved British TV presenter Judith Chalmers has sadly died at 90 years old.
The former Wish You Were Here…? host was known not only for the once smash-hit travel programme, which ran for the best part of three decades, but she also enjoyed a spot on BBC Radio 2, along with the Strictly forerunner, Come Dancing, among many other guest appearances over the decades.
Judith Rosemary Locke Chalmers OBE, to use her full title, was born in Stockport back in 1935 and is said to have passed away peacefully at home on Thursday evening, 21 May.
The tributes to the broadcasting legend are continuing to pour in online.
A familiar Northern face, Chalmers presented the primetime show from its inception in 1974 until 2003, and was made an OBE for her services to broadcasting in 1994.
The proud Gatley girl enjoyed a long and successful stint on screen before having to step away from her various duties in her later years due to declining health.
She leaves behind her husband, Neil Durden-Smith – himself a former sports commentator – along with two children, including Mark Durden-Smith, who has also gone on to a career in presenting
Unfortunately, Chalmers was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago, meaning she gradually withdrew from the public eye even further; those around her have done plenty of important fundraising for the cause ever since.
Stopfordians have also been honouring the local lass’ legacy and much-admired reputation.
I met legendary broadcaster Judith Chalmers, who has died aged 90, when as a boy I won a competition to be VIP guest at a celebrity cricket match played at @StockportCounty Judith, who hosted the event, was happy to be home as she was raised in Gatley #SCFC#StockportCountypic.twitter.com/58pcm39y3V
In a statement issued to ITV (once her long-time employers), her family said: “After living an extraordinary life that involved over 60 years in broadcasting and countless adventures all over the globe, Judy sadly passed away last night, surrounded by the family she loved so much after suffering with Alzheimer’s for some years.
“We will miss her greatly, but she leaves behind a giant suitcase of the happiest of memories.”
Our thoughts are with her family, friends and long-established fan base up and down the country at this difficult time.
Danny Jones -
30th August 2023 
