Relations chilly at airport

Ryanair cancelled three flights from Edinburgh yesterday morning, blaming a shortage of de-icer but its claims have been called into question

Officers helped deal with irate travellers yesterday after the budget airline cancelled three morning flights, blaming a shortage of de-icer.

Passengers on an aircraft bound for Lanzarote said they were told their flight had been cancelled after spending more than three hours on board waiting for take off.

Airport sources said that while de-icer was running low, other airlines had not cancelled flights.

It was claimed the Irish carrier had scrapped services in a bid to get back on schedule with flights later in the day.

Irene Tait, who was on the Lanzarote flight with her husband and daughter, said fliers were told to leave the aircraft so it could be de-iced.

She said: "We boarded the plane as normal at about 7am, but at about 10.30am we were taken off. As soon as we got into the terminal the screens said the flight had been cancelled.

"There was one girl in tears and people frantically trying to re-book. The police were called. People were very cross."

Earlier this week it emerged police had been called to remove passengers from a Ryanair flight to Malaga after it was cancelled.

Commenting on yesterday's cancellations, a Ryanair spokesman said: "Due to a shortage of de-icing fluid by Edinburgh handling agents, Ryanair was forced to cancel three early morning flights."

Servisair, the handling agent used by Ryanair, is also used by British Airways and BMI, neither of which cancelled flights.

An airport source said: "Servisair were running low on de-icer, but they were getting a massive delivery in later in the day. No-one else cancelled flights, so I'm not sure what (Ryanair's] reasoning was.

"We've got on to them, but we don't want to get into a tit-for-tat thing."

The news came as Kevin Brown, the airport's managing director, paid tribute to his staff for managing to get the runway re-opened.

He said: "I'm proud of the way we have rallied together this week during this unprecedented winter weather.

"Being the first week of December, we have three months of winter ahead of us."We will review what has gone well and not so well over the last week to improve our services."

Meanwhile, council leader Jenny Dawe has insisted the city had learned lessons from last winter as she paid tribute to the staff who are trying to keep Edinburgh moving.

Complaints have flooded in from across the city from people cut off by the Arctic conditions, but Cllr Dawe said: "Council officers and crews directly involved in keeping the city moving have been working round the clock, with many more battling the elements to get into work.

"I want to thank all of them, especially those who are helping to care for our more vulnerable citizens and maintaining other essential services."

She added: "We learned lessons from last winter's severe weather and this time we have more road salt, more equipment, more staff deployed and better arrangements for helping vulnerable people."

Cllr Dawe was speaking as the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce called for the Scottish Government to assume managing the response to extreme weather conditions.

Managing director Graham Birse said: "It's clear the current extreme weather has exposed weaknesses in the system. By applying a national strategy action can be focused where it is most needed, and resources applied on a national basis."

Meanwhile, the council also yesterday warned property owners they are legally responsible for dangerous snow and icicles which are hanging from roofs, after being called to several "emergency cases".

The council and police are also urging residents to be wary of black ice and frozen snow while parks staff are warning the public about the risks of venturing on to seemingly frozen ponds, reservoirs and canals, where the ice can be extremely unstable.

Walkers and skiers in the Pentlands and even on Arthur's Seat are also being warned of the risk of avalanches.

Outdoor education specialist Cliff Smith, a fully qualified mountaineering instructor, said: "We're not saying people shouldn't continue to enjoy walking and skiing, but they do need to be aware of the dangers of avalanche, particularly where snow layers are weak.

"Our advice is to avoid slopes which are most heavily loaded with snow."There's a risk of avalanches even on Arthur's Seat - just a small slide of snow could take a walker off a ledge."

It is not just people who are struggling with the snowy conditions. Firefighters yesterday helped to rescue 18 cows near Linlithgow after they were trapped when a barn roof collapsed under the weight of snow.