XL holidaymaker rescue continues

Stranded tourists are continuing to arrive back in the UK on flights laid on by aviation regulators, following the collapse of travel firm XL.

Just over 22,000 holidaymakers have so far been brought home on 94 repatriation flights organised by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

XL had 21 planes grounded on Friday, leaving some 85,000 people abroad.

The CAA has also been called on to help 150 people stranded in a Turkish resort after K&S Travel folded on Saturday.

K&S, also known as Travel Turkey, charters planes from Onur Air and only flies to Turkey.

All those affected by the K&S closure will be protected under the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) scheme, said the CAA, which was rechartering their flights for the same times.

"We are also working to ensure the timely return of those who are continuing their holidays over the next couple of weeks"
Richard Jackson, CAA

The regulator said it was also trying to mirror original flight details for XL customers, and said the vast majority would get home on the day on which they had originally planned.

Richard Jackson, director of consumer protection at the CAA, said the organisation, with "extensive help from the travel trade" had worked hard to look after those affected.

"Our immediate challenge has been to repatriate holidaymakers due home in the days immediately following the company's collapse.

"We are also working to ensure the timely return of those who are continuing their holidays over the next couple of weeks," he said on Sunday.

The CAA has said another 30,000 XL customers still abroad would be able to continue their holidays in the knowledge that their return flights would be covered by Atol.

CAA EMERGENCY HELPLINE

• Customers abroad: +44 (0) 2891 856547
• Customers in the UK with advance bookings: 0870 5900927

Holidaymakers stranded in Turkey

The spokesman said a further 25,000 people would be looked after by the travel operators they had booked with.

Another 10,000 who had only booked their flights with XL and who were not covered by Atol could return on the CAA flights after paying a fee.

The CAA said the firm - which flew to 50 destinations - also had 200,000 advance bookings.

Earlier it transpired some British tourists waiting for flights from the Caribbean island of St Lucia had been handed large hotel bills, despite having paid for an XL package holiday.

Martin Skillings, visiting St Lucia with his wife, said they and 34 other people had been asked to pay almost £1,000 for accommodation.

XL NUMBERS

• 85,000 people left abroad
• 50,000 booked on XL packages covered by Atol
• 25,000 booked with other tour operators
• 10,000 booked independently on XL flights

Mr Skillings, who lives in Norfolk, said they had so far refused to pay.

A spokesman for the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) said poor weather conditions in the Caribbean had made it difficult to collect people from there.

The decision to place XL Leisure Group into administration has left thousands of staff facing the axe.

XL chairman Phil Wyatt has said the company's entire 1,700 UK workforce could be at risk.

Since XL's collapse it has been disclosed that XL's former auditor - accountancy firm KPMG - warned of "financial irregularities" at the firm almost two years ago.

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