TEMPERS frayed among frustrated passengers as the disruption caused by industrial action in Spain continued to stall holiday flights from Scottish airports yesterday.
The strike by Spanish air traffic controllers ended on Friday night, but its knock-on effects, combined with a work-to-rule, left tour operators still struggling with long delays all weekend.
Charter flights were the main casualties and Glasgow remained the UK's worst affected airport with up to 700 passengers still facing delays yesterday.
Scots trying to return home from abroad were also forced to wait as air traffic controllers limited the number of flights per hour.
About 200 holidaymakers due to fly out on Saturday from Glasgow to the Menorcan resort of Mahon faced the longest delay and were forced into an overnight hotel stay before finally departing shortly after 2pm yesterday afternoon, more than 23 hours late.
Some passengers complained about their treatment by Britannia Airlines, which handled the flight, saying the company's officials had misled them over the likely length of the delay.
One passenger, who asked not to be named, arrived on Saturday to find the flight already facing a nine-hour delay but claimed Britannia staff assured him the plane might leave that night even though Mahon airport operates a strict 9pm curfew.
He said: ''There was absolutely no way the plane could have left on the Saturday, because it would have arrived after the curfew. Britannia's staff must have known that, but they were still pretending to us that the plane could leave at any moment.
''We were then shipped to the Posthouse hotel, near Erskine, but were woken at 4am and told we had to check in for a 6.15am departure, which was later delayed. Britannia told us this was because of problems finding a flight crew.''
He claimed that, by Sunday morning, some people's patience was wearing very thin and tempers were rising in the departure lounge.
''About 30 people started having quite a heated argument with airport authorities, and police appeared from nowhere and asked people to calm down.
''I am extremely annoyed at Britannia.''
Later, a spokesman for Britannia blamed the Spanish strike for causing ''confusion'' among tour operators and airlines across Europe.
He said: ''We apologise for any misunderstandings that may have occurred.''
Passenger John Miller and his wife, facing an 11-hour delay on a scheduled flight to Larnaca, in Cyprus, were philosophical about their ill fortune.
Mr Miller, 45, from Cumbernauld, said: ''This is the worst delay I have ever faced from Glasgow. I have bought a thriller novel to pass the time, but I dare say it will be finished before we take off.''
Mr Steven Gargaro, Glasgow Airport duty manager, expected problems on most routes to disappear by this morning but warned that a handful of departures might be hit by minor hitches as planes and crews attempted to resume their normal timetables.
Travel worries were already easing last night for sunseekers flying from Aberdeen and Edinburgh, but delays were still common at English airports, particularly Manchester.
Majorca airport remained the one major Spanish travel blackspot with holidaymakers facing delays of up to three hours.
The controllers have threatened further action if their demand for at least 500 extra staff is not met. Talks will continue this week.
Meanwhile, football fans could struggle to get their World Cup flight plans off the ground after Air France pilots announced what could prove a crippling two-week strike over pay, due to start today.
France's largest pilots' union, the SNPL, which represents the lion's share of the airline's 3200 pilots, is behind the strike although three smaller unions had called for a shorter four-day stoppage.
Air France expects to be able to maintain only a quarter of short and medium-haul flights from Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris, and just 17% of flights from the capital's other airport at Orly.
q Ferry passengers leaving Oban for the Western Isles experienced delays at the weekend after Caledonian MacBrayne withdrew the vessel which normally operates on several routes because of an engine fault. A replacement vessel with almost half the capacity of the MV Lord of the Isles was used to take cars and passengers from Oban to Coll, Tiree, Castlebay (Barra), and Lochboisdale (South Uist).
CalMac asked passengers to contact the ticket office while the replacement ferry continued on the routes.
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