A woman filmed having an emotional meltdown at an airport after Ryanair stopped her from boarding a flight insists new video evidence proves she was right.
Dramatic footage captured 55-year-old Tsvetana Kalinina sobbing and banging on a door at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria after being told her she could not board due to her ‘over-sized bag’.
Shocked passengers watched on as the tearful kindergarten teacher hit the doors separating her and the other holidaymakers before being escorted out of the gate.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ms Kalinina said the incident left her overwhelmed with ‘stress and shock’, adding that she felt as though she had been treated ‘like a criminal.’
She insists she did nothing wrong, and claims a new video – showing her luggage fitting into the airline’s baggage sizer – backs up her side of the story.
But, Ryanair said Ms Kalinina’s bag exceeded the permitted size, and that when she was asked to pay a standard gate baggage fee, she refused and became ‘aggressive’ towards gate staff.
Recalling the ordeal Ms Kalinina said: ‘I was one of the last people in the queue. I had a small handbag and my usual cabin bag – the same one I’ve travelled with for years without issue.
A woman who had an airport meltdown when Ryanair stopped her from boarding a flight has revealed what really happened
Tsvetana Kalinina, 55, was filmed sobbing and banging on a door at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria after being told her she could not board due to her ‘over-sized bag’
Shocked passengers watched on as the tearful kindergarten teacher hit the doors separating her and the other holidaymakers before being escorted out of the gate
Pictured: Ms Kalinina tries to show her bag fits into the sizer
‘I didn’t even think it could be a problem. When I started to check in, the Ryanair staff member suddenly told me I couldn’t carry both.
‘My handbag was nearly empty – just my documents and a wallet. The man behind me offered to tuck the handbag into his own luggage so I could go through.
‘But even after that, the Ryanair employee insisted I had to pay a fee, and he had to check the size of my cabin luggage.
‘While I was trying to carefully place it in the sizer – because I had fragile items – the staff member just said, “That’s it. I’m cancelling your ticket”.
Ms. Kalinina claims she wasn’t given enough time to respond before the situation escalated.
‘The stress and shock overwhelmed me. I don’t remember everything because I was in such a state.
‘I broke down. I know people said I was emotional or even aggressive – but I wasn’t. I never insulted anyone.’
Ms Kalinina explained that the reason she had become so distressed was because she feared she could lose her job if she didn’t turn up on time for work in Vienna.
She pleaded with fellow passengers for support but it was no use while police officers were trying to escort her out of the gate.
‘I felt like I was being treated as a criminal,’ she said. It was humiliating. Completely degrading. And I truly don’t believe I did anything wrong, I followed the rules.
‘Eventually I was taken to see a doctor at the airport. That’s how bad my condition was. The doctor was worried about my health after the mental toll of the situation.’
Ms Kalinina (pictured) has now told the Daily Mail how the incident left her overwhelmed with ‘stress and shock’ and feeling like she had been treated ‘as a criminal’
Nikolay Stefanov, who witnessed the shocking ordeal and captured the video footage, said that he believed the airline had initially offered the woman to pay extra for her baggage
Ms Kalinina explained that the reason she had become so distressed was because she feared she could lose her job if she didn’t turn up on time for work in Vienna
After the shocking incident, Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov has reportedly ordered an inspection of the airport’s security cameras, according to Bulgarian news site Fatki.bg
The incident took place on Thursday, July 24, with Ms Kalinina set to travel on a flight from Sofia to her home in Vienna, Austria.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: ‘This passenger booked a Basic Fare ticket for this flight from Sofia to Vienna (24 Jul), which allowed them to carry a small personal bag onboard.
‘As this passenger’s bag exceeded the permitted size, they were correctly required to pay a standard gate baggage fee however refused to do so and became aggressive towards gate staff.
‘As a result of their aggressive behaviour, the gate agent denied this passenger boarding for this flight from Sofia to Vienna.’
Ms Kalinina noted she ‘would think twice’ about travelling with Ryanair ever again – especially from the airport in Sofia.
Nikolay Stefanov, who witnessed the shocking ordeal and captured the video footage, said that he believed the airline had initially offered the woman to pay extra for her baggage.
However, she refused, due to her bag fitting within the sizer.
Adding that the situation then ‘escalated quickly’, he said: ‘She was pleading with us not to leave, but people were threatened that the entire flight would be cancelled if we didn’t get on the bus. I decided to stay with her.’
Mr Stefanov also claimed that another passenger, who was standing behind the woman in line, with ‘no issues’, was removed from the flight.
When the confused traveller queried this, a Ryanair staff member was said to have remarked that ‘reopening the gate risked the woman trying to get on the bus’.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: ‘This passenger booked a Basic Fare ticket for this flight from Sofia to Vienna (24 Jul), which allowed them to carry a small personal bag onboard
The incident took place on Thursday, July 24, with Ms Kalinina set to travel on a flight from Sofia to her home in Vienna, Austria
Mr Stefanov added: ‘What shocked me most was the utter lack of compassion from the staff member, who looked right through the woman with complete indifference. Even though they could have resolved the problem, they simply refused.’
The passenger also claimed that a Ryanair staff member ‘deliberately hid his name badge when questioned’ and attempted to confiscate a phone from a woman who was recording the incident as it unfolded.
Following the shocking incident, Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov has reportedly ordered an inspection of the airport’s security cameras, according to Bulgarian news site Fatki.bg.
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Moment Ryanair passenger SOBS after being stopped from boarding plane due to 'large hand luggage'
In a statement provided to NOVA, Mr Karadjov is said to have described the behaviour of ground operator employees captured in the video as ‘outrageous’, Fatki.bg reports.
Mr Karadjkov also declared that the main ground operator involved was given the ‘highest fine’ alongside a ‘verbal warning’ that he could have his licence revoked were a similar situation to occur in the future.
But Goldair Handling Bulgaria, who provide the ground handling services for several flights operating out of Sofia Airport, have insisted that the employee acted ‘professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger’.
In a statement provided to BNT News, the company said: ‘All rules regarding passengers’ baggage, its permissible size and the fees payable for baggage are determined solely, entirely and unilaterally by the airlines, and Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is solely obliged to monitor compliance with these rules by the airlines.
‘This also applies to hand luggage, as Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is obliged to monitor the dimensions of this baggage and collect excess baggage fees, which fees are determined by and are entirely for the benefit of the airlines.’
The handling company added that in this incident, their employee ‘did not violate the rights of a passenger’ and also did not ‘behave rudely or disrespectfully’.
The statement added: ‘The employee only complied with the rules and procedures of the airport operator and the airline, indicating the permissible dimensions of the baggage and checking for compliance with them.
‘They acted professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger.’
Ryanair’s hand luggage policy allows for passengers to fly for ‘one small personal bag’, free of charge.
However, it must be sized 40cm x 20cm x 25cm and ‘fit under the seat in front of you’.