Passengers plan second night stay at Glasgow Airport

Some passengers are planning to stay a second night in Glasgow Airport in the hope of finally getting away on their travels on Friday.

Heavy snow closed the airport on Wednesday and despite efforts to clear the runways it is to remain closed to all flights until at least Friday morning.

With all transport cut off around the airport on Wednesday, hundreds of would-be passengers were forced to sleep in the airport terminal or a nearby hotel conference room, with all rooms taken.

The airport described it as an unprecedented weather situation amid the Met Office red alert and many staff worked overnight to help with the situation.

With all flights cancelled on Thursday afternoon many passengers decided to return home, but others were determined to remain and finally get away on holiday.

She said: “We arrived here yesterday morning at 5am, we were on the plane and we had to come back off it and were told that the flight was cancelled.

“We were booked on to a number of other connecting flights to get us to LA so we stayed in the airport but then, as you know, all flights were cancelled today.

“Now we’re hopefully going via Heathrow tomorrow.

“We stay in Irvine and the roads are bad so we don’t want to risk the drive down in the snow only to do it back again for our flight to Los Angeles which is now supposed to be at 6am tomorrow.

“Some hotels are trying to charge hundreds of pounds so we’re just going to tough it out in the airport, what else can you do?

“Hopefully it will be third time lucky and we’ll get away.”

“A severe amber warning advising against all but essential travel has been issued by the Met Office and will remain in place until tomorrow morning,” the spokesman said.

“In light of this and the impact it is having on passengers and staff, including airline staff, travelling to and from the airport, we will remain closed for the rest of the day.

“This decision has been taken with safety of passengers and staff in mind.

“Our teams are continuing with snow clearing operations, however, we would advise passengers not to travel to the airport.”

Among those who had their flight cancelled for a second day were newlyweds Chris and Vicky Robinson from Stranraer.

They got married last weekend and were looking forward to a luxury holiday in the Maldives when heavy snow closed the airport.

They then spent the night in chairs in the airport’s main terminal catching a few hours sleep as they waited for news on a rescheduled departure.

“If we don’t get away by tonight then we’ll probably not go because it’s only a week we’re going for and it’s too far to go for any less than that really,” she said.

“There was tears to start with but there’s not much you can do.

“We had the perfect wedding so you can’t ask for everything.”

Robin Wright, from Midlothian, described the situation as a “total nightmare” after spending a second day at the airport with her husband and two young children after their flight to Dubai was cancelled.

“We’re just in limbo,” she said.

“We’ve been here since yesterday afternoon with our six-month-old son and daughter, Esme.

“We had little help at the beginning, there was nowhere to sterilise Theo’s bottles or get hot water and eventually last night about 11pm we got a room in the Holiday Inn and they gave us camp beds and some blankets.

“The kids had nothing to eat with the shops closed and it’s just been a total nightmare.”

Others put up in the hotel conference room included Thomas and Mhairi Mennie from Glasgow who were supposed to be flying to Cyprus.

Mr Mennie said: “We were shivering all last night, I’m 80 years of age and my wife is 76, and we couldn’t find an airline rep to help us.

“There was good company at least in the room and we had a good laugh.

“But we’re not even interested in the holiday now, we just want to get home and get a good night’s sleep and a bit of heat.”