OUTRAGED holidaymakers hit out after they were left stranded at Glasgow Airport in the latest airline holiday firm crisis.

OUTRAGED holidaymakers hit out after they were left stranded at Glasgow Airport in the latest airline holiday firm crisis.

Some passengers were distraught when they turned up to find out they were not going anywhere after the XL Leisure Group ceased trading.

Dozens of passengers were due to fly with the firm on a 7am flight to Tenerife. Many had booked months ago.

Travellers started arriving from 4am but when they entered the airport they were faced with a sign on departure boards saying Cancelled'.

Agents from Servisair handed out leaflets, but there was no rep-
resentative from XL.

Jean and Derek Hamilton, from Clydebank, were looking forward to two weeks in the sun as a birthday celebration for Derek.

But Mr Hamilton said the first he heard from tour operator Freedom Flights was at 7.30am. A text message was sent from them half an hour after the flight was originally due to take off.

Mrs Hamilton, 49, said: "We're gutted. We are sitting here with our bags packed for a two-week holiday.

"We paid in full 12 weeks ago and the first we heard about this was when we turned up at the airport.

"It is just a horrible feeling, but we are not going away from the airport without fixing a holiday".

The text message sent to Mr Hamilton simply stated their holiday had been affected.

He said: "I thought we would be okay booking with what would be a reputable firm but obviously not.

"There was a number on the text message that I was to call, but when I phone it keeps going dead.

"We have asked about flights at all other desks at the airport, but there does not seem to be much going out today."

John and Moira Ramsay, from Campbeltown, were supposed to be celebrating their silver wedding anniversary.

To mark the event they had booked a two-week break, but several hours after they were due to depart they were still sitting at Glasgow Airport.

Mr Ramsay, 46, said: "We travelled from home last night and stayed at an airport hotel, but when we came over this morning we looked at the screens and saw the flight was cancelled.

"You always think it will happen to someone else, but now we are caught up in this fiasco.

"We are certainly not going back home and will wait here until we can get an alternative.

"What annoys me is the firm must have known this was going to happen, but it was not until 4am that passengers realised what was happening."

Beatrice and Steve Barker, from Dundee, had just been dropped off at the terminal when, moments later, they discovered they could have done with a return taxi journey.

They had paid £140 to travel direct to Glasgow this morning.

Mrs Barker said: "We had just got out the taxi, walked through the terminal doors and there was a sign saying cancelled'.

"Some people who live locally were able to go home and others got in their cars to go to Newcastle for EasyJet flights, but we are stuck here.

"I work in a doctor's surgery and we all have to book our holidays early. We are so disappointed and even if we can get somewhere in Spain it would be worth it."

Morag Taylor, 58, drove from her home in St Albans, Hertfordshire, with her partner Ron Sangster and his mother Jean.

Morag did not take the most direct route because she drove to Stranraer to pick up Ron and then on to Perth, where Jean lives.

They were looking forward to boarding their holiday flight in Glasgow this morning, but Morag spent hours on the phone desperately trying to find out news.

"I can't believe what has happened. After weeks of planning and booking it's heartbreaking," she said.

"We want to get angry, but there is no one here to take it out on so what's the point? My partner's a long-distance lorry driver and this is the only two weeks of the year he could get.

"To make matters worse, a friend wanted to join us at the last minute and has booked an evening flight to Tenerife. Now the three of us do not even know whether we will be able to join him."