Flights from Bristol to Greek island cancelled by flooding
People on Skiathos say they have no running water, electricity or working toilets
Last updated 7th Sep 2023
Airline Jet2 is cancelling all flights to Skiathos, because of severe flooding on the Greek island.
The company has announced the news on X (formally Twitter), saying it has taken the decision due to "extraordinary circumstances" and with customers' best interests at heart.
The airline runs regular flights to the island from Bristol Airport.
Hotels across Skiathos has been evacuated in recent days as flooding caused by severe rainfall caused cars to be swept away on the island's streets.
Earlier this week some parts of Greece experienced a year's worth of rainfall in one day, with people now complaining of being stuck with no water, power or toilets.
"Due to these extraordinary circumstances, and with our customers' best interests in mind, we have taken the decision to cancel all flights and holidays that are due to depart to Skiathos up to and including Tuesday 12th September," the airline's statement reads.
"As well as providing certainty for our customers, we believe that this is the right thing to do in terms of allowing the island and its population to quickly return to normal following this week's events.
"We will be contacting affected customers with regards to their refund and rebooking options."
A spokesperson for Jet2 says the flights due to depart from the UK between now and next Tuesday will still leave, but with no passengers on board, to help bring people back to the UK from the island.
They add the airline may put on extra flights to the UK to bring people home if necessary and today's announcement comes in addition to the cancellation of flights to Skiathos between Monday and Wednesday this week.
"We are continuing to closely monitor the situation on the island and have been in touch with customers in resort to advise them of the situation, and to ask them to follow the advice of the local authorities as well as their hoteliers," the statement continues.
"In addition, our in-resort teams are working tirelessly to visit and look after customers despite infrastructure challenges caused by the weather.
"We recognise that this is an extremely difficult and unpleasant experience for our customers and we of course are extremely sorry to hear this."