The airline that will operate flights from Carlisle Lake District Airport has admitted it hiked up fares to deter passengers from booking - days before it was announced flights would not be taking off as planned.

Loganair said customers questioning the new prices - of about £300 for a return flight - were told the change was due to a "technical issue" and would be fixed after the bank holiday.

"We took the decision to attempt to deter passengers from making further bookings by temporarily adjusting fares to the highest rate," said a spokesman for the airline.

Stobart Group this week announced the cancellation of hundreds of journeys and a three-month delay in the take-off of commercial flights from the airport, insisting a global shortage of air traffic controllers was to blame.

The Cumberland News understands fares jumped to about three times their original price in the days before that announcement.

Tony Robinson said he feels "unbelievably misled".

The 65-year-old, of Lansdowne Close, Carlisle, was among those trying to book flights. He started looking for a flight to Belfast in mid June on May 23.

Seeing only steep fares, he contacted the airline a handful of times between May 23 and Tuesday. He was initially told all cheaper seats had been sold and only premium fares were left.

But Mr Robinson said fares were the same until March 2019.

"We now know the truth and that Loganair deliberately set out to mislead people like myself," he said.

"Problems with infrastructure and air traffic control do not happen overnight. They must have known of this weeks ago but weren't transparent.

"Some of those who did purchase tickets were sold these under false pretences for a service Loganair knew it would probably would not be able to honour."

A Loganair spokesman said: "Despite efforts by Stobart to ensure scheduled services would commence as planned, we were informed there could possibly be a delay.

"Prior to receiving absolute confirmation of the delay to September 3, we took the decision to attempt to deter passengers from making further bookings by temporarily adjusting fares to the highest rate.

"All customers with reservations for travel before September 3 are being given the option of a full refund.

"Customers were advised the price change was due to a technical issue which would hopefully be fixed after the bank holiday weekend.

"Upon final clarification of the three month delay, on Tuesday, they were then immediately taken offline.

"All affected passengers will be refunded."

Stobart Group assured travellers there would be no further delays and apologised.

Kate Willard, head of corporate projects, said: "It was purely the air traffic control skills shortage that didn't get us over the line.

"Just that single thing, which is truly frustrating and I am so sorry.

"Everything else, including the infrastructure and construction, was - and is - on track."

Mr Robinson was planning to take his father Kenneth Robinson, 94, to Londonderry, where his mother was born, and to other places he knew as a boy.

He added that he will not be making any bookings in the future.

"How can you trust a carrier like Loganair when they deliberately set out to mislead customers," he said.

"As for my father he will probably now never see a place he holds so dear."