Holidaymakers stranded abroad following the collapse of XL Leisure Group are beginning to make their way home.

After the group went into administration in the early hours of Friday morning around 85,000 people were left abandoned overseas while thousands of others were stuck at UK airports unable to take flights abroad.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has vowed to repatriate those affected while airlines and travel agents also pledged to do everything possible to get people home.

The Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) scheme, which checks tour operators and travel organisers, said "repatriation aircraft" were being scrambled.

An ATOL spokesman said many passengers were expected to be returning to the UK on Saturday, both on specially chartered flights and on already scheduled flights that have spare seats on board.

Virgin Atlantic has said XL passengers who find themselves stuck at airports in Florida and the Caribbean will be offered special one-way fares to fly home until the end of September.

Phil Wyatt, chief executive of XL Leisure Group, described arranging flights to accommodate those affected as "the most challenging airlift that anyone has undertaken".

In an emotional statement on Friday, Mr Wyatt said he was "devastated" at the company's collapse and apologised to his customers and employees.

The group grounded its fleet of planes after failing to secure a multi-million pound rescue package, and as many as 200,000 people could see their holidays scrapped as a result of the collapse.

Meanwhile, the 1,700 staff employed worldwide by XL Leisure Group, based in Crawley, West Sussex, are facing an uncertain future.

Mr Wyatt said: "All future operations will cease immediately and as a result of this the majority of the UK employees are made redundant.

"We know this is particularly devastating news for the XL team, whose hard work had been the backbone of the company."

He added: "We extend out gratitude to all staff for their dedication to this business, some of them whom I have worked with for 15 years. Our thoughts are with them and their families at this upsetting and very difficult time.

An emergency helpline - +44 289 185 6547 - has been set up for distressed customers, and holidaymakers abroad can also call the administrator's helpline on +44 208 242 4783, while those in the UK should dial 0800 068 8991.

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