A PETERSFIELD father was left distraught after missing his son’s graduation because an airline refused to honour his ticket.

David Podger had booked with Eastern Airways to fly to Leeds for the 10am ceremony at Leeds Trinity University, but on arrival at Southampton airport he wasn’t allowed to board the plane.

The 58-year-old father of four, of Monks Orchard, said: “I was told the plane was overweight, and two passengers would be left behind.

“I was left feeling distraught and upset at having missed this unrepeatable family event.

“I could feel myself getting more distressed, and I knew how disappointed my son Tommy would be.”

David had booked a return ticket on Thursday, July 20, that would see him leave Southampton at 8.45am.

He was due to fly back at 2pm the same day, leaving him time to get back to Petersfield.

That evening, the part time actor was due to appear in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It at Bedales in Steep as part of the Petersfield Shakespeare Festival.

After being told he couldn’t board the plane he was booked for, he was offered a seat on a later flight.

But David says it would have got him there too late for the graduation ceremony, and he would have been late back for the play as well.

He added: “There hasn’t been any attempt to offer me either an explanation or an apology.

“This is yet another instance of airlines overbooking flights, but this time with a human cost.”

Eastern Airways denies the flight was overbooked.

It says it had been decided to increase the plane’s fuel load as it might have had to divert due to thunderstorms forecast for its route.

An Eastern Airways spokesman said: “The extra fuel resulted in the need to offload two passengers to allow the flight to depart safely, which was our main concern.

“Eastern Airways does not operate an overbooking policy.

“The decision to reduce the number of passengers in the plane was based on safety, which is our priority.

“We sincerely regret Mr Podger missed a special family occasion.

“Our staff did offer to accommodate him on the next flight to Leeds, with a meet and greet service at Leeds airport and with ongoing transport into the city, but he declined the offer.”

The spokesman added Mr Podger was entitled to a full refund.