Travel firm at centre of national crisis

The UK's third-largest tour operator announced on Friday that it was grounding all flights after going into administration '“ having failed to secure a rescue package.

The group, which had still been taking bookings until recently, said it had been hit by rising fuel costs and the credit crunch.

A spokeswoman for administrators Kroll said 1,500 out of the 1,700 staff had been made redundant but could not say where these job cuts were concentrated.

The Civil Aviation Authority and other travel companies launched a major operation to help holidaymakers stranded by the collapse.

On Friday, XL chief executive Phil Wyatt said it would be a 'huge challenge' to bring home the 67,000 people currently overseas on holidays organised by the firm.

"It's going to be the most challenging airlift I believe that anyone has undertaken."

Mr Wyatt said he was 'totally devastated' by the company's collapse and believed his firm should not have been forced to go into administration.

Were you left stranded abroad because of the collapse of the XL Leisure Group? Email [email protected]

For the full story, see the West Sussex Gazette issue dated September 17