Jet2 and easyJet warn holidaymakers 'check your emails' amid emergency

Holidaymakers travelling with Jet2 and easyJet have been warned to keep an eye on their emails as flights and holiday arrangements may have to change at the last minute due to wildfires in Greece. Firefighters are battling wildfires on the eastern Aegean islands of Chios and Kos and Greece’s prime minister has warned of a dangerous summer ahead.

Emergency services issued evacuation orders for those in the Metohi area of western Chios, urging them to head to a nearby beach. Further south in the Aegean, on the island of Kos, the fire department said 20 firefighters, a helicopter and volunteers were tackling a brush fire that broke out in the centre of the island.

The blazes come a day after the fire department managed to tame two large forest fires near Athens that had been fanned by strong winds. “We have had an exceptionally difficult June regarding weather conditions, with high levels of drought and unusually strong winds for this season,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday during a cabinet meeting.

This year’s summer, he said, “is predicted to be particularly dangerous” for wildfires. In total, Greece has seen 52 wildfires this week, 44 of which were tackled in the early stages.

A Jet2 spokesman said: “We are aware of the ongoing situation regarding wildfires in the Kardamena area of Kos. The safety and well-being of our customers and colleagues is always our first priority and we would like to advise our customers on the island to follow the guidance of the local authorities.

“Currently, our Jet2.com flights are due to operate as scheduled today and the airport remains operational. However, due to the situation, the airport may be congested and you may experience longer than normal wait times.”

An easyJet spokesman said: “We’d like to remind our customers currently in Kardamena to continue following the guidance of their hotel and the local authorities, and continue to check SMS and email for any updates from us For customers who have been evacuated from their hotel, we have members of our easyJet holidays team at all rendezvous points, to provide further support and guidance, so we ask our customers to make themselves known to these representatives.

“For customers due to travel to Kos in the coming days, the majority of the island is currently unaffected, so holidays are going ahead as planned and our normal booking terms and conditions apply. We’ve proactively contacted customers due to travel to the impacted area of Kardamena, regarding their holiday.

“We ask that customers continue to check their emails, as we’ll be in touch if their holiday is impacted by the evolving situation.” Jet2 has also warned about delays in the Mediterranean because of thunderstorms.