Tour operator's collapse strands Scots travellers

Published on Saturday 17 July 2010 22:15

DISAPPOINTED holidaymakers were left stranded at Glasgow Airport after their tour operator collapsed.

The Greece and Turkey specialist Goldtrail went into administration on Friday, the Civil Aviation Authority confirmed yesterday. Around 16,000 Goldtrail customers were abroad while a further 2,000 were scheduled to fly from the UK this weekend.

Holidaymakers watched departure boards announce repeated delays before their 8.45pm flight was cancelled just before midnight on Friday.

A Glasgow Airport spokesman said: "People had checked in, then the company went into administration."

A second charter flight for Turkey, due to leave at 9.30am yesterday, was also cancelled.

The spokesman said that 180 passengers were due to fly to Bodrum on Friday night and a similar number yesterday morning.

A handful of Goldtrail customers who were booked to fly to Dalyan and Bodrum with the Turkish airline Onur Air will also be forced to make alternative arrangements.

A flight bringing Goldtrail customers home from Turkey arrived at Glasgow Airport yesterday.

Goldtrail customers Joanna Farnan and her friend Mark McLay were due to fly out of Glasgow Airport. The pair said passengers were met by police at the departure gate when they went to board their flight to Turkey and warned to hand back any duty free they had bought.

Farnan said she was "pretty disappointed" and that it would take up to 12 months to get her money back.

McLay said: "We were pretty calm at the time but obviously a bit gutted. It was just really a shame for families. You could tell you had parents trying to explain to them (children] why they were packing their bags up again."

Barrhead Travel founder Bill Munro said Goldtrail's collapse was "an accident waiting to happen".

He said: "We didn't sell their holidays unless someone came in and said 'sell me a holiday with Goldtrail to Turkey'. We couldn't not sell them but we didn't promote them."

A Glasgow Airport spokesman said that Goldtrail was "a small player in Scotland". He said: "Turkey is very well served from Scotland and there are lots of holiday companies that can step in."

An Edinburgh Airport spokeswoman said that Goldtrail used Onur Air and Turkuaz Airlines to transport customers to Turkey, with flights due out on Tuesday and Thursday. However, she was unable to confirm whether customers of the collapsed firm were booked on to these flights.

Aberdeen Airport and Glasgow Prestwick Airport said their passengers were unaffected by the tour operator's collapse. Authorities sought to reassure holidaymakers that they could claim back money lost on bookings while alternative flights and accommodation were also available.

The CAA said it was making arrangements to fly customers home at the end of their holiday.