Ryanair is charging of a group of 28 British passengers in Brussels nearly £6,000 in total to change their flights to this evening.

The Belgian capital has been hit by two major terror attacks, at Zaventem airport and Mallbeek metro station, which have left at least 30 people dead.

And, addressing the House of Commons, Labour's shadow small business minister Bill Esterson said a group of Britons was trying to get home from the city a day earlier than planned and had been told the new flights would cost them £214 each.

He said: "I have been contacted by a number of my constituents who are in Brussels, who travelled there today and are trying to get home, as I'm sure many others are as well.

"They have been told by the airline Ryanair that it will cost them £6,000 to be brought back to this country.

"I wonder if, through you, Mr Speaker, I can ask ministers if perhaps they might intervene and suggest to Ryanair and other carriers that all efforts are made to help those who want to come back to this country in a reasonable way."

Brussels in lockdown after multiple bomb attacks

The group had arrived at the airline’s desk at Brussels Charleroi airport and asked to change their flight to Manchester to this evening.

They were asked to pay a £60 charge to change their flights plus an upgrade of £154 each to match the avaliable fare on the new flights.

A Ryanair spokeswoman told The Independent the high fare was due to the fact there were only 28 seats remaining on the flight.

In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A private security guard helps a wounded women outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Wounded people receive assistance by rescuers outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue workers treat victims outside the Maelbeek underground station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers waiting to be evacuated from the train between Arts-Lois and Maelbeek In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency services and police work around a metro station after an explosion in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue teams evacuate wounded people outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A woman is evacuated in an ambulance by emergency services after a explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A Belgian soldier stands guard outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels after a blast at this station located near the EU institutions In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police officers stand outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian policemen and a soldier carrying an injured person after an explosion at the Maelbeek Metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A view of the train after the explosion in Maelbeek station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People receive treatment as emergency services attend the scene after an explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Maelbeek Metro station after an explosion on a train in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers walk on underground metro tracks to be evacuated after an explosion at Maelbeek train station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A victim receives first aid by rescuers, near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Firefighters arrive at the scene near Maalbeek metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency workers arrive at a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency rescue workers stretcher an unidentified person at the site of an explosion at a metro station in Brussels AP In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Police seal off the area at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police and emergency staff arriving in the Wetstraat - Rue de la Loi, which has been evacuated after an explosion at the Maelbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Smoke rising from the Maalbeek underground, in Brussels, following a blast at the station close to the capital's European quarter Getty Images In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People are evacuated from the Schuman station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station The scene outside the Maalbeek underground in Brussels after the explosion

She said: "The reason for the upgrade is that there were only 28 seats remaining on this evening’s flight.

"This group, declined to accept this change offer as is their right and we look forward to welcoming them on their scheduled flight from Brussels Charleroi tomorrow.

"As of 1.30pm today, there only 12 seats remaining on this evening’s flight from Brussels Charleroi to Manchester as Ryanair has been prioritising free changes and transfers for passengers travelling on flights to and from Brussels Zaventem today and tomorrow.

"We regret any inconvenience caused to this group but our priority today remains re-accommodating our disrupted Brussels Zaventem passengers, and all other passengers are free to avail of our change facility in the normal manner."