ALMOST 1,000 Irish holidaymakers affected by the collapse last week of Britain's third largest tour operator have been offered alternative travel arrangements.
The Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) says it has succeeded in organising special flights for the majority of Irish tourists facing the prospect of being stranded following the collapse of XL Leisure Group and its Irish subsidiary, which traded as XL Holidays.
The destinations served by the collapsed tour operator from Ireland included Skiathos, Santorini and Zakynthos in Greece, Palma and Reus in Spain, Faro in Portugal, and the Bulgarian resort of Bourgas.
Most flights embarked from Dublin, but the company also flew from Cork to Santorini, Knock to Bourgas and Faro, and Belfast to Corfu, Paphos and Palma.
Under the alternative travel arrangements, a total of 292 Irish holidaymakers are due to travel on two flights from Bourgas today, with one flight destined for Dublin and the other for Knock. Tomorrow, 160 will fly from Palma to Dublin.
On Wednesday, 166 will travel from Santorini to Cork.
A total of 140 will fly from Zankinthos and Mykonos to Dublin on Thursday. On the same day, 166 holidaymakers in Faro will be flown home to Dublin and Knock.
Passengers who had been due to fly home from Reus in Spain on Friday were repatriated yesterday. Two special flights were organised to accommodate those left stranded.
However, a spokesman for CAR said the commission had successfully organised alternative travel arrangements for nearly 1,000 people, with minimal disruption to their original itinerary. "Most were accommodated around the time they were due to travel," he said.
The spokesman urged those affected to consult its website - www.aviationreg.ie - for details of the flights and other updates.
Some 30 other tourists are making their own way home when their holidays finish towards the end of this week, the spokesman said.
They can later claim the costs involved under the industry bonding scheme.
More than 1,200 Irish tourists were overseas on packages or flights booked or operated by the tour operator at the time of its collapse last week.
Some 3,000 others were due to travel in the coming weeks.
Most will qualify for refunds and/or expenses under the bonding scheme operated by the commission.