Stranded British XL customers turn ugly at Cyprus airport

Customers of the failed XL travel company, who were stranded in Cyprus, threatened a riot as fighting broke out in the group of 400 passengers who were effectively stranded in an airport departure lounge for 24 hours.

The passengers were left in the lounge at the Larnaca Airport, and became furious when the flight that was to take them back to the UK was delayed repeatedly and no one explained to them what was happening.

As the day progressed and an official from the airport did not answer their questions, the mood of the group turned ugly,

This is one incident that highlights the chaos around the collapse of XL and the stranding of some 40,000 UK tourists at holiday destinations around the world – even with the massive effort organised by Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority to repatriate most of them.

Approximately 30,000 of the holidaymakers are entitled a flight home at no additional cost, once the alternate flights are arranged, and another 10,000, mostly customers who booked their flights directly with XL Leisure, will have to pay for the alternate flights.

On Monday night the CAA reported that the repatriation effort was proceeding well, but the story told by stranded holidaymakers is quite different in some cases.

Around 400 tourists in Larnaca were due to fly back last week to Gatwick and Glasgow on XL flights, but found out that the flights had been cancelled.

Some were so concerned that they cut their holidays short and went to the Larnaca Airport on Friday to find out what their alternatives were. There were told that flights had been organised for them to Gatwick on Sunday, and that those going on to Glasgow would be shuttled from Gatwick to Glasgow by bus.

www.xl.com