Last XL passengers stranded abroad return home

The final ATOL-organised flight bringing UK passengers home who were impacted by the failure of XL Airways has landed on British soil.

Approximately 83,000 customers of the travel operator were left marooned at 40 destinations around the world when the company collapsed in September.

In the days following the grounding of the carrier’s aircraft, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) operated 222 charter flights to repatriate those travellers stranded abroad with no alternate flight back to the UK.

The authority made the specially-organised flights available to all passengers who were affected by XL’s demise, but only those passengers who were eligible for ATOL protection were able to fly home at no additional charge.

Passengers who booked their flights with ATOL-member travel agents were protected, but those who purchased their tickets with XL Airways directly were not.

The director of consumer protection with the CAA, Richard Jackson, noted that the group was now working on obtaining refunds for the over 200,000 customers of XL who are in possession of advance bookings that have also been cancelled.

Over the coming weeks and months, the CAA anticipates processing at least 70,000 claims for customers affected by the travel operator’s collapse.

www.caa.com