Holidaymakers were left stranded on a Greek island due to a little-known airport rule. TikTok user NKD Zante revealed in a recent video that she has "a journey from hell back from Zante about two days ago". She said her journey went from being four to 24 hours .

The TikToker's ordeal wasn't caused by the usual airport chaos, but rather that can turn the end of a holiday into a nightmare. Her flight was meant to be at 10pm, but was delayed "at literally five to 10", the confused traveller said. She explained: "We had to go back to arrivals, get all our luggage. They took us to the front of the airport, gave us 15 euros snack vouchers for some crisps and stuff.

"Then it was another three hour wait while they tried to organise the rest of us to find a place to stay.

"They said they had no idea when our flight would be the next morning, and that they'd just text us with the new time the next day. But basically, pretty much everything at Zante Airport shuts at 10pm.

"So if you have booked a really late flight and it , past 10pm, they will just delay you to the next day."

Zakynthos International Airport adopted night-time flight restrictions decades ago, prioritising the protection of the native loggerhead sea turtles.

These Mediterranean sea turtles frequent the island's shores for nesting purposes, and conservation efforts are critical in Zakynthos, a hub for the reproduction of these endangered creatures.

The conservation of these beaches is crucial; serious challenges such as habitat destruction and human disturbances.

The nocturnal nesting practices of the turtles are particularly sensitive to interruptions caused by the lights and noise from aircraft, creating harmful impacts on their breeding.

In an effort to minimise disturbance to the turtles, Zakynthos airport has implemented a night-time curfew, limiting flights from sunset to 7am when the turtles are most active.

Other Greek islands are also implementing measures to protect the turtles, including restricting access to nesting beaches at night and reducing artificial lighting.