Wow Air passengers forced to sleep on the floor at Keflavik airport

Stranded travellers have said they spent the night on benches

Passengers booked on the troubled Icelandic airline, Wow Air, have been telling The Independent about their treatment after a flight from Reykjavik to London was abruptly cancelled.

As the airline meets creditors and bondholders, passengers arriving for the 6.20am flight from Keflavik international airport outside the Icelandic capital were told that their flight to London was grounded.

Lucy Moore said: “Wow Air have not contacted us at all to tell us. The desk assistant told us to call the help centre.

“All the help centre could advise is that they could refund. The next available flight for us to book onto with Wow Air would be Thursday.”

Under European air passengers’ rights rules, the airline has to find a swifter solution to get stranded travellers to their destination.

It is obliged to buy a ticket on an alternative flight, and provide meals and accommodation until the passenger can take off.

But Ms Moore was not offered a different flight, nor told about her rights – as the rules demand. “We have booked a new flight with BA, leaving at 1.15pm,” she said.

“We’ve been told we are not allowed vouchers for food as our flight has been cancelled not delayed.”

Gina Marshall and her son were booked on a later Wow Air flight to Gatwick.

“We’ve been told nothing,” she said, adding: “My son’s birthday trip and we are both spending it sleeping on benches. No consideration for customers.”

A Wow Air representative has tweeted: “My deepest apologies for all the inconvenience.”

Wow Air built its UK-Iceland-US business through fake news stories, pretending it would fly passengers from Gatwick via Reykjavik to New York for £99.

As The Independent demonstrated, the lowest fare was actually £170.

The airline is continuing to advertise fares on its website from Gatwick and Stansted to Reykjavik for £30, when the lowest one-way price actually payable is actually £47.