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Globespan goes out of business

Christmas holiday plans for thousands were thrown into chaos as Scottish travel firm, The Globespan Group, was placed into administration today.

All flights operated by The Globespan Group plc or Globespan Airlines Ltd have been cancelled and aircraft grounded.

Customers who are due to depart on a Globespan package holiday should visit the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) website - www.caa.co.uk - as they are likely to be entitled to a full refund by the ATOL scheme.

Those passengers who booked a flight only through Flyglobespan are unlikely to be protected by the ATOL scheme but may be able to claim a refund from their card provider if they paid by credit card or Visa debit card.

Any customers who booked through a travel agent should contact them for advice immediately.

The company operated flights from Manchester, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Belfast.

Globespan customers currently overseas on a holiday should be able to complete their stay as planned, after which the CAA will arrange flights to bring them home.

For Flyglobespan flight-only customers already abroad there is no ATOL protection, meaning they will need to arrange their own flights home using alternative airlines. Airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair are offering rescue packages for up to 14 days for passengers stranded overseas.

Globespan customers are urged to check their travel insurance policies for airline or accommodation failure cover, and to retain any receipts for expenditure incurred by the company's closure.

In response to Globespan's failure, travel association ABTA is calling for the Government to take action to force airlines to offer the same level of protection to customers as tour operators.