easyJet grounds Wales fans travelling to Toulouse for key Euro 2016 match

Exclusive: The plane intended to operate the service was struck by lightning

(Getty)

Welsh football fans booked on easyJet from Gatwick to Toulouse for a crucial Euro 2016 match were dismayed to learn that the flight had been cancelled - then were forced to pay hundreds of pounds for alternative tickets, or drive to the game.

Wales play their final Euro 2016 group match against Russia in Toulouse on Monday evening. Among the thousands of supporters travelling to the city for the match were an estimated 100-plus fans who were booked on easyJet’s Sunday morning flight from Gatwick to Toulouse.

But during a flight to Bastia on Saturday afternoon, the plane intended to operate the service was struck by lightning. It was kept on the ground awaiting an inspection.

Passengers with bookings to Toulouse were told of the cancellation by text at 10pm on Saturday evening.

Ann Edwards told The Independent: “Having started our journey from mid-Wales by the time I had the text, we decided to book Eurotunnel and take our own car." She arrived at 6pm on Sunday evening after a 12-hour drive.

“Instead of what was meant to be a short, relaxing flight to Toulouse, picking up a lovely car and having all day today free, we've had frantic stress as we did not want to miss the football.”

Rick South from Bognor Regis was at the start of a long-planned holiday in France with his wife Sue. The couple were staying at a Gatwick hotel on Saturday night.

Mr South said: "I got a text message saying they had cancelled the flight. I went over to the easyJet service desk to find some very upset Wales fans trying to rearrange their flights.” He said: “A group of Wales fans were having to spend around £500 each on alternative flights via Madrid.”

When a flight is cancelled, passengers have no entitlement to seats on the next departure. But an airline that cancels a flight is obliged, under EU rules, to find seats for the passengers on other carriers.

An easyJet spokesperson said: “Whilst our staff worked hard to look for alternatives on other airlines, unfortunately no options under comparable conditions were found.”

Mr South said he was told there was not another available seat on an easyJet flight to Toulouse until Wednesday. Ground staff offered an alternative flight to the island of Corsica - which would have required a ferry journey and a long train ride to reach the couple’s destination.

On Sunday morning the couple went back to the easyJet desk at Gatwick in case a replacement plane had been found. Mrs South said: “Staff were not helpful and didn’t seem to know about the footie. Sadly we have come home dejected.”

Gatwick is easyJet’s biggest base, with dozens of aircraft based at the Sussex airport. Mr South said he was astonished that easyJet had decided to cancel the Toulouse flight on the eve of a crucial football international. “There was no thought process to why this flight was cancelled,” he said.

The airline spokesperson said: “Our operations team looked at all possible alternative options before taking the decision to cancel this flight.”