FLYBE and Aurigny have stepped in to help XL Airline passengers. Tens of thousands are stranded after the leisure group, the third largest package holiday group in the UK, went into administration.

Flybe will offers passengers stuck at one of its destinations a flight home for 90 euros. Aurigny will change bookings on connecting flights subject to certain conditions.

Niall Duffy, Flybe’s head of PR, said it was happy to help.  ‘This is what we do when another airline goes to the wall,’ he said.

It is unknown how many islanders have been affected by the collapse but Carl Winn, from the Co-op’s Travelmaker, said it was doing all it could to help its customers.

‘It just reinforces our message that booking online is not always the best option as when an airline or travel company fails, bookings made via the web or a call centre are not financially protected,’ he said.