Comtel Air cancels Amritsar to Birmingham flights

An airline accused of asking passengers to pay extra for fuel to fly home has cancelled UK flights at the weekend. A Comtel Air flight from Amritsar to Birmingham was grounded in Vienna on Tuesday by its Spanish carrier Mint Lineas Aereas due to financial issues. Passengers were returned to Birmingham but said they were asked to pay up to 150 Euros to continue their journey. Birmingham Airport, which confirmed the cancellations, said anyone due to travel should contact their agent. spokesman for the airport added: "Clearly, we are very concerned about this situation and understand the distress that this is causing those passengers directly involved and their loved ones. "We stress that we are very disappointed that the operator is having these problems this week and we working hard to provide some clarity going forward." stops services In October the Austrian-registered airline contracted the Spanish carrier firm Mint Lineas Aereas (MLA) to operate a service between Birmingham and Amritsar. The airline said on Thursday it was owed money by English travel agents along its supply chain, which is why it had not paid MLA since last month. In a statement on Thursday, MLA said: "Due to unresolved financial questions, it was decided by Mint Lineas Aereas as operating carrier to stop operations for Comtel Air."