HUNDREDS of Scots who were due to fly out of Glasgow to Mexico and Florida on board the controversial Boeing 787 Dreamliner are being switched to other planes.

The decision comes weeks after regulators grounded the entire fleet of around 50 Dreamliners around the world amid safety fears following a malfunction and battery fire on two separate flights.

Holiday giant Thomson today announced that holidaymakers due to jet out of Glasgow from May on First Choice breaks to Mexico and Florida would switch to a Boeing 767.

A spokesman said: "Thomson Airways regrets to confirm, in the absence of a delivery schedule from Boeing, we have taken the decision to activate our contingency plans and switch customers booked on the 787 Dreamliner in May and June to alternative planes. They will now be travelling on Thomson Airways' 767 long-haul aircraft.

"The supplement paid for the Dreamliner flight will be refunded to those customers who proceed with their original bookings and customers will have the option to amend their holiday without incurring any fees."

It is believed Boeing is working on a new battery design and hopes the fleet will be able to take off again in a few weeks.

Thomson has ordered 13 Dreamliners and Glasgow is the only airport in Scotland where one will be based.

Each £62.6million Dreamliner can carry up to 250 passengers and is said to be the most fuel efficient in the world. It's also the first plane to have been built entirely from composite materials.

gordon.thomson@ eveningtimes.co.uk