HUNDREDS of passengers arrived back in Glasgow safe and well after a 32-hour flight delay.

The visitors to Las Vegas in the US should have touched down back in Scotland at the weekend but instead had to be put up in hotels for two extra nights, as revealed in late editions of last night's Evening Times.

Holiday giant Thomas Cook said the 340 passengers should have jetted out of the Nevada Desert late on Saturday but instead engine problems grounded an Airbus 330.

It was due to fly out of Manchester Airport with 300 other passengers shortly after 7am on Saturday, land at the desert airport and fly back to Glasgow following a short break.

Instead a second jet had to be scrambled. The changeover also meant Thomas Cook had to apply for an alternative landing slot at Las Vegas. Both factors led to the flight arriving more than 30 hours late, just after 1pm yesterday. They had originally been due home at 5.30am on Sunday.

Thomas Cook faced bills for thousands of pounds to cover the cost of hotel accommodation and food vouchers.

A spokesman said last night: "Thomas Cook would like to apologise for the delay caused to those due to return from Las Vegas to Glasgow on flight TCX125 due to unavoidable operational circumstances with the aircraft prior to its outbound flight from Manchester.

"We'd like to sincerely apologise for the lengthy wait and thank our holidaymakers for their patience."

He added: "The long delay was also caused by available landing times authorised by US customs."

gordon.thomson@ eveningtimes.co.uk