Affected passengers react to airline collapse

Kate Fisher said she and her mother had spent £1,000 for flights that had been cancelled

Passengers have been reflecting on the effects of having booked flights with an airline which unexpectedly ceased trading.

Blue Islands suspended trading and cancelled all future flights on Friday.

Kate Fisher, who lives in Jersey, said she was worried as she and her mother had booked around £1,000 worth of flights for the Christmas and summer holiday periods.

Carl Walker, chairman of the Jersey Consumer Council, said banks would be likely to reimburse up to 20,000 people who had booked future flights with credit and debit cards, and 1,200 travellers who had been displaced could claim on their travel insurance or through their travel agent.

Passenger Jennifer Bridge said it had been "lovely to be rescued"

Mr Walker said: "We're in a bit of a grey area at the moment because Blue Islands hasn't declared bankruptcy, it's simply ceased trading and cancelled all flights."

He continued: "At moments like this it makes you realise we're an island, we are reliant on those transport links.

"It's not just about going on holiday, it's important family events, it's business meetings, it's tourism and all the goods we consume."

Jennifer Bridge from Gorey was on the first Loganair flight from Southampton to Jersey on Monday morning, after having her Blue Islands flight on Sunday cancelled.

She said: "I really appreciate Loganair stepping up but am sad for the Blue Islands team.

"It's really lovely to have been rescued and it was perfect.

"It was such a big thing seeing flights just disappear.

"It brings in to stark relief the importance of the flights and how easily we can be cut off."

The first Loganair flight from Southampton to Jersey took place on Monday

Sue Le Ruez was on the same flight after finding out via a website her Blue Islands flight had been cancelled.

"It's happened very quickly but I assume in the background maybe things weren't going well."

Billy Reilly from the Isle of Wight had booked flights to celebrate his wife's 70th birthday in Jersey.

After they arrived in Southampton for the flight he said: "I was in the dark on Saturday morning and nobody at the airport knew anything."

He and his wife drove home but said because they had booked via a travel agent they would get their money back.