A "COMPUTER issue" left Flybe passengers stranded on the tarmac at Glasgow Airport for more than two hours today [fri].
Flight BE881 was scheduled to take off en route for Southampton at 7am but passengers were left in limbo after a technical glitch grounded the plane.
The aircraft was speeding along the runway moments away from take-off when the software problem - described by Flybe as a "minor technical fault" - suddenly forced the pilot to stop and turn the plane around.
By 8.35am - when the flight should have been coming in to land at Southampton - the passengers were still waiting to take off from Glasgow.
The airline eventually ruled out a journey using the Dash 8 twin-engined turboprop plane, which seats up to 78.
Passengers disembarked and made their way to a replacement plane.
Flight BE881 later departed at 9.30am and landed in Southampton two and a half hours late, at 11am.
One of the passengers on board said: "The plane was on the runway, gathering speed to take off, then it suddenly slowed. We knew something wasn't right.
"The pilot said it was a computer issue.
"They got engineers on to try to repair it but we ended up having to get off, onto a new plane.
"It was annoying but can't be helped and they were very apologetic. I think everyone was glad we got onto another plane."
A spokeswoman for Flybe said: "Flybe can confirm that the above flight was delayed this morning due to a minor technical fault with the aircraft.
"All 55 passengers completed their journey following their transfer to a replacement aircraft.
"The safety of its passengers and crew is the airline’s number one priority and the airline apologises for any inconvenience experienced."
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