Kos tourists finally fly home

The Airtours flight has been aborted twice

A plane carrying 150 British tourists home from a package holiday to Greece finally left the island of Kos on Saturday evening after a series of aircraft problems.

It has been a harrowing experience for them

Bob Howes, father of stranded tourist

The tourists were supposed to arrive back in Britain on Thursday, but twice their flight had to be aborted.

They should have arrived back home in the UK on Thursday evening but as their plane taxied down the runway on Kos the pilot's instruments showed a fault developing in one of the engines and the flight was aborted.

After being looked at by an engineer the plane was ready for another go early on Friday morning but as it gained altitude a flock of birds flew straight towards the aircraft and another engine was out of action as the air flows became blocked.

The plane made an emergency landing on Kos.

Travel company Airtours then sent a replacement aircraft to Kos.

It proved third time lucky for the unfortunate group of holidaymakers who finally succeeded in getting off the island, arriving back at Gatwick at 2230 BST Saturday.

Airtours says it is looking at the question of compensation.

'Harrowing experience'

Della Howe's sister Deli, was stranded in Kos. She telephoned her family in Newbury, Berkshire, on Friday morning to say that the replacement plane had now been delayed.

She said her sister, who is in her early 30s, saw flames coming from one of the engines on the second aborted flight, sending passengers into a panic.

Ms Howe told the BBC: "She saw flames and could smell smoke. She said children were screaming and one woman had a severe asthma attack."

"She also complained that they were being put up in poor standard accommodation, with no air-conditioning and had run out of food.

"To top it all the hotel that they have been put into won't accept credit cards and so they have been running out of money.

"In all it has been a harrowing experience for them."

An Airtours spokeswoman said what had happened to the group was unusual and unfortunate, and the company had done its best to look after the people involved.