TOURISTS disembarked from a flight to Rhodes after the pilot warned them it was a “terrible idea” to travel there as the island continues to be devastated by bushfires.
The plane was about to take off from Gatwick when the easyJet captain urged 37 British tourists to think twice before their trip to the Greek island holiday.
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Evacuated tourists are forced to sleep on the ground at Rhodes airport Credit: Reuters
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Up to 10,000 stranded Britons await news as fire rages Credit: AP
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The easyJe pilot warned passengers during their struggle that it was a “terrible idea” to travel thereCredit: Alamy
He said traveling to the island for vacation was a “bad idea”, explaining that return flights were operated by the military.
Speaking loudly, the pilot said: “Going on holiday to Rhodes at this time is a terrible idea.
“As far as I’m concerned, this flight is being operated as an emergency.
“Return flights are now operated by the military. If you want to leave the flight, feel free to do so.”
“I don’t know in what capacity you’re traveling, but if you’re traveling for pleasure, my honest recommendation is that it’s a bad idea.”
But only eight passengers, including a tearful child, heard his sobering words and disembarked from the plane, BBC Wales reported.
And just 42 hotels on Rhodes are closed, as many in the unaffected parts of the island continue to take breaks and authorities in Greece insist tourists must still fly.
Olga Kefalogianni, Greece’s tourism minister, said “there were no disruptions at the airport”, insisting that only up to 20 percent of the island was affected by the fires.
There are 10,000 Britons stranded waiting for news after bushfires engulfed their hotels in Rhodes, Corfu being the last to evacuate tourists.
Many angrily accused tour operators of dumping them on the island knowing that wildfires were destroying it.
Some have spent more than 48 hours in hastily set up makeshift evacuation centers as hell spreads across the southern coast.
Mercy flights began bringing them home yesterday, with more expected today.
But tourists have criticized airlines and tour companies for taking them to Rhodes in the first place.
Mother Jane Allen, 49, flew from Manchester with a group of TUI parcels on Saturday night as thousands of people on the island were ordered to flee.
She said: “We landed in Rhodes to create chaos and they told us that our village had been evacuated.
“They knew what we were getting into, how serious it was. How could they?”
NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FLIGHTS TO GREECE
Author: Lisa Minot
In the Rhodes fires, tens of thousands of tourists were stranded or fleeing the flames.
The terrifying scenes will have a great impact on those who were going to visit the island.
And the news that Corfu, and now Crete, are also on fire, will worry even more.
Q: I am planning to visit Rhodes this week with a tour company. What is the situation?
A: Jet2 has canceled all trips to Rhodes until Sunday and affected customers will be given a full refund or rebooked. Meanwhile, TUI has canceled all travel until Friday and until Sunday for those visiting hotels in the affected region. EasyJet has also canceled all package deals until today.
Q: What if I booked my trip independently?
A: British Airways has a full schedule of flights to Rhodes, but offers customers the opportunity to change or postpone their bookings free of charge. Ryanair is flying normally and anyone who doesn’t want to travel will lose money.
Q: Now in Corfu there are forest fires affecting tourist destinations, what if I travel there?
A: On Sunday, TUI told customers going to four hotels near the fire not to travel but to contact the company to discuss their options. Other tour operators have yet to cancel trips.
Q: I’m going to Greece soon, but I’m worried about the fires. Can I cancel and get my money back?
A: Unless the government issues an official advisory against all but essential travel to affected areas, you will lose money if you choose not to go on vacation.
Some 20,000 people were forced to flee their homes and hotels over the weekend as the inferno spread, hitting coastal resorts in the island’s leafy southeast, after charring swathes of land and damaging buildings.
Firefighters on the island are still battling the blazes as thousands have been forced to evacuate burning hotels and tourists rush home on evacuation flights.
Rhodes deputy mayor Konstantinos Taraslias said the fires were still out of control after seven days of fighting them.
More than 16,000 people were evacuated by land and 3,000 by sea from 12 towns and several hotels.
One shot shows a ship ferrying people away from the raging smoke in the background before safely dropping them off in port.
A new evacuation order has been issued for Vati in Rhodes as emergency services battle to control the spreading flames.
Meanwhile, tourists have now been told to evacuate Agioi Theodoroi and parts of Evia, Greece’s second-largest island.
Shockingly, before and after photos reveal the charred remains of a five-star resort in Rhodes after it was destroyed by bushfires.
The video begins with tourists relaxing poolside at the luxurious Lindos Imperial Resort and Spa, in the town of Kiotari.
But the “out of control” fire prompted a mass evacuation, sending at least 19,000 people fleeing.
In the second part of the video, the hotel pool itself is covered in ash, while in the background you can see several sun loungers burned.
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Satellite image shows fires burning in Rhodes Credit: AP
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Some 20,000 people had to leave their homes and hotels over the weekendCredit: AP
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The video shows people being rescued by a boat Credit: Youtube / HellenicCoastguard
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Tourists sunbathe at the Lindos Imperial Hotel before the fire breaks out.
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The pool at the Lidos Imperial Hotel is just a charred heap of twisted metal and ash after being devastated by bushfires.
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A firefighting helicopter drops water as a bushfire burns near the town of ArchangelosCredit: Reuters
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Source: newstars.edu.vn