Tui and Jet2 cancel flights between Rhodes and Bristol Airport after wildfires

  • Watch Claire Manning's report here.

Tui and JET2 flights to Rhodes from Bristol Airport have now been cancelled after huge wildfires engulfed the island.

Around 19,000 people have been evacuated in certain areas of the island after the fires raged for a sixth day.

Greece's Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection said it was "the largest evacuation from a wildfire in the country".

Some 16,000 were evacuated by land and 3,000 by sea, according to local officials.

There were reports that some tourists were forced to wade out in to the water to be rescued from blazes.

Three coastguard vessels were evacuating two beaches in Rhodes. Credit: Argyris Mantikos/AP

Holidaymakers who are out in Rhodes currently will have to wait until their original return flight home though, despite the fact many are in temporary accommodation away from affected areas.

Jet2 said in a statement posted on Twitter: "We have cancelled all flights and holidays that are due to depart to Rhodes today (five flights in total) ... We will fly those five aircraft to Rhodes with no customers onboard, so that we can bring customers back to the UK on their scheduled flights."

In a statement online Tui said: "We have cancelled all outbound flights to Rhodes up to and including Tuesday 25th of July 2023.

"Customers currently in Rhodes will return on their intended flight home."