Budget airline hit by new delays

Air Scotland has been hit by delays

Hundreds of Scottish holidaymakers have suffered long delays as the troubled budget carrier Air Scotland struggled to clear a backlog of flights.

Passengers took off from Glasgow Airport for Alicante on Tuesday evening after a 12-hour delay.

The airline got into cash difficulties last week and a plane was grounded in a row over unpaid fuel bills.

A charter aircraft brought in on Tuesday to clear the backlog returned to Poland after a dispute over payment.

A spokesman for Air Polska told BBC Radio Scotland: "We have thrown away a lot of money because we paid for our fuel, for air control, for the landing fee, etc, etc.

"It was a big cost for us. It was our first deal with Air Scotland and the last with this airline, I hope."

Another plane

The flight, had been due to leave Glasgow at 0810 BST on Tuesday but finally departed at 2020 BST.

More than 170 Air Scotland passengers at Edinburgh Airport awaiting a flight to Alicante were bussed to Glasgow on Tuesday evening to catch their flight, seven hours behind schedule.

An Air Scotland spokesman said it had chartered another plane and would soon be able to clear the backlog.

The cash crisis at the airline started on Thursday when the Iraqi-born founder of Air Scotland, Dhia Al-Ani, a travel agent in Bearsden, near Glasgow, sold his stake.

Ownership of the carrier, which is operated by Greece Airways, was transferred to the H Top Hotels Group in Spain.