22 September 2008

Over 46,000 XL passengers flown home

More than 46,000 passengers left abroad with the collapse of the XL Leisure Group have been flown home in the week since the operator went down.

The 38,000 remaining holidaymakers due to complete their breaks are due to be flown home this week.

A total of 199 repatriation flights have been organised from 40 destinations to bring back the initial 46,765, according to the Civil Aviation Authority on Friday.

The CAAââ¬â¢s helpline has received more than 84,000 calls from customers, of whom 57,000 learned what they needed to from recordings and 27,000 spoke to helpline agents over the past seven days.

In addition, the ATOL website received more than 148,000 individual views over the week.

Those flown home include passengers booked with XL tour operators, XL Airways and other tour operators that shared XL Airways flights.

The CAA is continuing to work with Thomas Cook, Thomson, First Choice and Virgin Holidays to ensure ATOL-protected holidaymakers can complete their holidays with no extra costs and travel home at the end of their stay.

The flights currently organised by the CAA are from Alicante, Malaga (Spain); Palma (Majorca); Athens, Chania, Corfu, Heraklion, Kalamata, Kavala, Kefalonia, Kos, Lesbos, Mykonos, Preveza, Rhodes, Samos, Santorini, Skiathos, Zante (Greece); Bodrum, Dalaman (Turkey); Cagliari (Sardinia); Faro (Portugal); Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt); Bridgetown (Barbados); Antigua, Grenada, St Kitts, St Lucia, Tobago (Caribbean); Larnaca, Paphos (Cyprus); Orlando, Sanford (Florida); Arrecife (Lanzarote); Fuerteventura, Las Palmas, Tenerife (Canaries); Mahon (Minorca).

Arrival airports in the UK are Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle.

CAA consumer protection director Richard Jackson said: ââ¬ÅâœI want to take this opportunity to thank the industry, particularly the tour operatorsââ¬â¢ overseas representatives, with whom we have worked, for all their extensive efforts on the ground over the course of the past week.

ââ¬ÅâœTheir important contribution has greatly helped the smooth repatriation for the vast majority of XL holidaymakers and allowed many others to complete their holidays.ââ¬~

by Phil Davies

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