Praia, Aug. 28, 2026 (Lusa) - At least 40 of the approximately 130 affected passengers remain on the island of Boa Vista in Cape Verde, three days after EasyJet cancelled a flight to Porto in Portugal, awaiting official confirmation of their return.
«Here at the Riu Karamboa hotel, there are more than 40 of us. There will be more in other hotels,» Jerónimo Velasco, a 61-year-old Portuguese national travelling with his wife and two children, told Lusa.
According to the passenger, travel agencies informed him on Thursday that there would be a return flight to Portugal on 1 September, but the information was relayed via messages forwarded by the agencies.
«We have yet to receive an official document confirming this. We have only received messages forwarded by travel agencies,» he said.
Jerónimo Velasco said that the operator ‘NewBlue' covered the accommodation costs on Thursday and guaranteed the passengers' stay until Tuesday.
The passenger highlighted the need for clearer communication after the flight was cancelled, stating that as of Thursday he was still awaiting a direct response from either EasyJet or the operator regarding the return journey.
«They have yet to offer any alternatives or cover any costs for the return journey to Portugal,» he said.
Velasco, a lawyer, said the cancellation meant he had to reschedule a court hearing on Wednesday and that his spouse and children have work commitments from 31 August onwards.
He also mentioned difficulties relating to his regular medication, stating that he had run out of the medicine he takes daily for high blood pressure and that he is trying, through his doctor, to find an alternative, as the medicine he uses will not be available in Cape Verde.
Flight EJU6872, from Boa Vista to Porto, was scheduled for Tuesday 25 August but was cancelled.
On Wednesday, Abel Fernandes, aged 32, a Portuguese national who was on holiday in Boa Vista, told Lusa that around 130 people had been affected by the cancellation.
According to the passenger, some travellers received a message from the airline on Monday evening informing them that the flight had been cancelled.
Passengers contacted their respective travel agencies in Portugal, which began looking for alternatives, whilst those on Boa Vista awaited further information on the situation.
«Some fellow travellers managed, with the help of their travel agencies in Portugal, to rebook their flights and travel via stopovers,» said Abel Fernandes, adding that he and his two travelling companions had secured an alternative flight to London, where they were on Wednesday, with a return to Porto on Thursday.
In a statement to Lusa, EasyJet explained that air traffic control restrictions due to adverse weather in Central Europe had delayed the aircraft scheduled to operate the Basel, Switzerland, route the previous day.
The airline stated that it offered passengers the choice of being rebooked free of charge onto the next available flight or receiving a full refund.
It added that it would reimburse passengers who had made alternative arrangements at their own expense for reasonable expenses and that it had promptly informed them of the available options.
The airline also said it was unable to specify exactly how many passengers remain on Boa Vista, as some may have used other airlines to leave the island.
When contacted again by Lusa today regarding the situation, EasyJet said it continues to monitor the case and is awaiting further updates.
«As for the number of passengers, it is always difficult to estimate, as any passenger may choose to use other airlines or alternative means of transport to leave. But we continue to follow the situation closely and monitor it,» it said.
EasyJet began operating in Cape Verde in October 2024, with flights between Lisbon and Porto and the island of Sal, before expanding its operations in October 2025 to include Boa Vista, Praia and São Vicente.
Tourism is one of the main drivers of the Cape Verdean economy. The country welcomed 1.2 million visitors in 2025, 6% more than in the previous year.
RS/ADB // ADB.
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