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Thousands of Britons stranded as tour firm grounded

by Sanjay Jha | September 11, 2008 at 11:46 pm

363 views | 4 Recommendations | 6 comments

Holidays of thousands of British have turned sour after one of the UK's biggest holiday companies went into administration.Holiday tour operators XL Leisure Group, who own a string of holiday companies as well as XL airlines, have gone into administration and up to 85,000 holiday makers could be left stranded while 200,000 holiday makers who have made advance bookings are also affected.

Tens of thousands of Britons are stranded abroad after the country's third largest package holiday group went into administration.

The XL Leisure Group, which operates XL airlines, flies to 50 destinations, mainly in the Mediterranean.

All its flights have now been cancelled and its aircraft grounded.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said 85,000 people could be stranded abroad and 200,000 have made advance bookings with the company.

David Clover, a spokesman for the CAA, said it was making arrangements to help customers of the four tour companies within the XL group.

"In respect of people who are currently abroad we're making arrangements and working very closely with the travel industry to organise repatriation flights.

"Clearly though, with XL Airways no longer operating, we're having to bring in substitute aircraft to bring people home."

Scores of disappointed XL customers queued at the firm's main airport Gatwick this friday morning, one of the busiest days of the week for holiday flights.

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Frank Fortune (not verified)

at 00:13 on September 12th, 2008

Don't worry, these greedy nasty people (don't forget the Brits have brought the credit crunch to the world with all their lies and deceit, and they have the most debt per person than has ever been accumulated in human history!), deserve what they get. Maybe at some point in their lives they will understand karma: put out bad, bad comes back to you.

Beaulieu

at 00:51 on September 12th, 2008

It's interesting how the BBC article says 'Britons' when Britain is a multi ethnic country. People from all countries live and work here in the UK and use the holiday companies. Did they only strand British born people? Did the BBC journalist bother to check the nationalities that went? (I am just a stickler for facts!)

Beaulieu

at 00:55 on September 12th, 2008

Reuters get it right: " The nation's third largest package holiday operator, XL Leisure Group, said on Friday it had gone into administration and grounded all flights, leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded."

Holidaymakers would be 'more appropriate' if the nationalities aren't known BBC.