"The easyJet flight was scheduled to depart on the 25th, around 10 am local time (12 pm in Lisbon), but it ended up being cancelled. I was travelling with two other people to Porto," Abel Fernandes, 32, a Portuguese national who was on vacation in Boa Vista, told Lusa.

According to the passenger, some travellers received a message from the company on Monday night, informing them that the flight had been cancelled.

The passengers contacted their respective travel agencies in Portugal, which began looking for alternatives, while those in Boa Vista awaited information about the situation.

The same passenger also said the passengers bore the cost of these alternatives, and they have not received confirmation of a possible refund.

"But all of this was through the agency in Portugal. From easyJet, still zero answers," he stated.

Meanwhile, the passengers were sent to a hotel in Boa Vista and "some remain on the island without an official date for their return to Portugal."

The passenger also stated that some of the passengers who remain in Boa Vista are without their usual medication, including medicines for diabetes and hypertension.

Another affected passenger, interviewed by Jornal de Notícias, also pointed out that about 100 people were affected by the cancellation and stated that he was still not receiving any information from easyJet about the relocation.

Eduardo Fernandes, who was on vacation in Boa Vista with his wife, told the newspaper that the travel agency had not received any response from the company and that the passengers remained staying in one of the hotels on the island.

easyJet's explanation

In a statement to Lusa, easyJet explained that flight 6872, from Boa Vista to Porto, could not be operated because "the aircraft scheduled to operate that route was held up the previous day in Basel, Switzerland, due to air traffic control restrictions following adverse weather conditions in Central Europe."

The company said passengers were offered the option to transfer free of charge to the next available flight or receive a full refund.

Passengers who took alternative measures on their own, it added, will be reimbursed for "any reasonable expenses."

It also stated that passengers were "promptly informed of the available options" and could arrange their own alternatives, then be reimbursed for expenses considered reasonable.

Regarding the number of passengers affected, the company told Lusa that it cannot specify how many remain in Boa Vista, as some may have already booked other flights to leave the island.