Passengers ‘tough it out’ at airport as flights are KO’d for second day
FRUSTRATED passengers were planning to spend a second night at Glasgow Airport last night in the hope of being able to fly today. Heavy snow closed the airport on Wednesday and despite efforts to clear runways, it will stay closed to all flights until at least this morning. Hundreds of would-be passengers were forced to sleep in the terminal or at a nearby hotel conference room as all hotel rooms were fully booked. Airport staff worked overnight to help but with all flights yesterday cancelled, many passengers decided to return home – however, others were determined to remain. Marjory Russell, from Irvine, who was trying to get to Los Angeles with her sister-in-law, said she was going to “tough it out” in the terminal for a second night. She said: “We were booked on to a number of other connecting flights to get us to LA so we stayed in the airport then all flights were cancelled.
“Some hotels are trying to charge hundreds of pounds so we’re going to tough it out in the airport. Hopefully we’ll get away.”
A Glasgow Airport spokesman said the decision to cancel all flights was in the interests of passenger safety.
He added: “Our teams are continuing with snow-clearing operations but 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 spent the night in chairs in the airport’s main terminal.
Vicky said last night: “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 – daughter Esme and six-month-old son Theo – after their flight to Dubai was cancelled.
She said: “There was nowhere to sterilise Theo’s bottles or get hot water. Eventually we got a room in the Holiday Inn and they gave us camp beds and blankets. But the kids had nothing to eat with the shops closed. It’s been a total nightmare.”
Others put up in the hotel conference room included Thomas Mennie, 80, and his wife Mhairi, 76, from Glasgow, who were supposed to be flying to Cyprus.
Thomas said: “We were shivering all last night. We’re not even interested in the holiday now – we just want to get home, get a good night’s sleep and a bit of heat.”