HUNDREDS of travellers were stranded at Glasgow Airport today after two flights were grounded because of technical and alleged financial problems.

HUNDREDS of travellers were stranded at Glasgow Airport today after two flights were grounded because of technical and alleged financial problems.

A Boeing 757 belonging to Zoom Airlines was stopped from taking off for Halifax, Canada, shortly before 11am after the Civil Aviation Authority enforced a detention order. More than 200 people were aboard.

A second flight to Canada, due to leave at noon for Vancouver, was delayed for 12 hours.

Zoom said the plane that had been due to leave Canada to pick the 156 people up had developed a technical fault and a replacement was being flown from London Gatwick to Glasgow tonight.

But reports from Canada said that plane had been grounded due to financial problems.

The chaos left more than 360 people stranded.

The detention order on the plane at Glasgow Airport had been served by CAA chiefs on behalf of Euro Control - the organisation responsible for air space across Europe. Euro Control claims it is owed a substantial sum by Zoom.

A second detention order was also placed on the plane by the UK's National Air Traffic Agency for alleged non-payment of charges.

BAA also enforced a third detention order due money, it is claimed, owed by the airline in connection with services in and out of Glasgow.

Earlier today passengers flying from Paris to Vancouver were stranded in Calgary when the Zoom plane stopped to refuel.

According to reports from Canada, the supplier refused to give any aviation fuel to Zoom because of unpaid bills while the leasing company detained the plane because of money owed.

But Zoom spokesman Ramsay Smith said flights would continue as normal in the days and weeks ahead. He refused to discuss allegations of unpaid debts.

A BAA official said: "BAA Glasgow has been instructed by the Civil Aviation Authority to detain a Zoom Airlines Boeing 757 for the non-payment of charges to Eurocontrol, the European organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, and NATS, the air traffic services provider."