Budget airline Zoom grounded

Low-fare airline Zoom has suspended all operations and cancelled all flights after going bust.

The news leaves passengers who have spent the day waiting at Glasgow Airport for a Zoom flight to Halifax and Ottawa stranded.

Zoom blamed its money problems on a "horrendous increase" in aviation fuel prices and the economic climate.

The move began when the Canadian-UK carrier, which flies from five UK airports, had a plane detained at Calgary Airport in Canada due to unpaid charges.

BAA then prevented a Canada-bound Zoom aircraft from leaving Glasgow following an instruction from UK's Civil Aviation Authority.

BAA Glasgow said the matter concerned the non-payment of charges to European air traffic control company Eurocontrol and to the UK's air traffic control company Nats.

Zoom, founded by Scottish brothers John and Hugh Boyle, tried to carry on flights by filing legal notices of intention to appoint an administrator in the UK and Canada.

But the airline later said it had no option but to suspend all operations and file for insolvency.

The Gatwick-based carrier employs 450 staff in Canada and 260 in the UK and flies from Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff and Belfast, as well as Paris and Rome, to eight destinations in Canada, New York, San Diego, Fort Lauderdale and Bermuda.

The Boyle brothers said: "We deeply regret the fact that we have been forced to suspend all Zoom operations. It is a tragic day for our passengers and more than 600 staff.

"We are desperately sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment that this will cause passengers and those who have booked flights."

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