XL passengers begin returning to UK
13.09.08
Passengers stranded when tour operator XL collapsed yesterday have been arriving back in the UK after aviation authorities arranged planes for their collection. Passengers have been returning to Gatwick and Manchester on specially chartered flights and on scheduled flights that have spare seats.
XL went into administration in the early hours of Friday morning, grounding its 21 planes and leaving an estimated 85,000 people abroad. The Civil Aviation Authority, under the Air Travel Operators' Licensing Scheme (ATOL) has organised a number of ‘repatriation aircraft’.
Among the flights into Gatwick Airport was a specially-chartered Monarch Airlines aircraft from Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. The lead singer of Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson, who works as a pilot with the UK charter airline Astraeus also flew passengers home from Sharm El Sheikh.
The CAA has been chartering planes from airlines including British Airways, easyJet and Thompson. Virgin Atlantic has offered XL passengers stranded at airports in Florida and the Caribbean special one-way fares to fly home until the end of September. Flybe, easyJet, bmi and Ryanair have also offered various forms of assistance.
Phil Wyatt, chief executive of XL Leisure Group, described arranging flights to accommodate those affected as ‘the most challenging airlift that anyone has undertaken’. In an emotional statement on Friday, Mr Wyatt said he was ‘devastated’ at the company's collapse and apologised to his customers and employees.
An emergency helpline - +44 289 185 6547 - has been set up for distressed customers, and holidaymakers abroad can also call the administrator's helpline on +44 208 242 4783, while those in the UK should dial 0800 068 8991.
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