XL Airways

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Tens of thousands of British tourists who booked with the tour operator group, XL, are facing massive disruption to their holidays.

The company has gone into administration and all its flights have now been grounded.

The XL Leisure Group went into administration in the early hours today, leaving about 85,000 customers abroad and hitting 200,000 people with forward bookings.

All XL’s flights were immediately cancelled and its fleet has been grounded, leaving crowds of angry tourists at Gatwick Airport.

The CAA released a statement saying it was making arrangements for all customers abroad who had booked their holiday or flight with an Atol tour operator so they could complete their holidays and fly home.

It said: “The CAA estimates that there are 50,000 tour operator customers of XLUK abroad, and a further 10,000 abroad with XL Airways, and 25,000 with other tour operators who shared the XL flights. A further 200,000 customers have advance bookings with the XL tour operators.

“All future departures with the XLUK tour operators and XL Airlines have been cancelled. Customers due to travel from the UK are advised not to go to their departure airport.  Tour operator customers will be able to claim a full refund from ATOL.”

XL said it went into administration as a result of “volatile fuel prices, the economic downturn” and a failure to obtain more funding.

The administration covers XL’s UK companies, which include XL Airways, Freedom flights, Aspire Holidays, Travel City Direct, Kosmar, the Really Great Holiday Company, and Medlife Hotels.

The XL Group’s companies in France and Germany continue to trade as normal.

Atols were held by Freedom Flights, Aspire, Kosmar, and the Really Great Holiday Company, which traded as Travel City Direct.

Medlife Hotels customers are also not Atol protected. XL’s website said all holidays booked through the company had been cancelled and the administrators would not be able to offer customers a refund.

Source: Travel Trade Gazette.

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