Ryanair's flight FR3883, which had to leave Malta for Luton at 8.45 p.m. on Wednesday is scheduled to leave Malta at 10 a.m. this morning more than 37 hours following its scheduled departure.

The 158 passengers on the flight, most of them weary British tourists with children, were left at the airport and given no information whatsoever about what had caused the delay and when the flight was expected to leave, a passenger said.

An unspecified delay was announed at 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday. At 9.45 p.m., the flight was rescheduled to yesterday at 2 p.m. but at this time yesterday another unspecified delay was announced. At 3 p.m., an announcement was made that the next communication would be at 4 p.m. At 4 p.m., passengers were informed an annoucement would be made at 6 p.m. At 6 p.m. they were promised a communication at 7 p.m.

The flight's status was formally changed to delayed at 8 p.m. and at 9 p.m. Ryanair said a communication would be made at 9.30 p.m. The flight was then rescheduled to this morning at 10.10. It was due to leave with 122 passengers on board.