Rhodes TUI and Jet2 rescue flights land in Manchester as tourists flee fire-ravaged island

Two flights from Rhodes landed in Manchester this morning rescuing British holidaymakers from the fire-ravaged island.

The TUI and Jet2 flights arrived at around 3am and 6.30am, according to the Manchester Airport website. An Easyjet flight from the Greek island is scheduled to land at around 11.55pm tonight.

The flights come after authorities began evacuating large swathes of the island of Corfu, which is also popular with British holidaymakers, after fires spread there on Sunday. Meanwhile, a British Foreign Office spokesman confirmed a Rapid Deployment Team had arrived on Rhodes to support travel operators in bringing Brits home.

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On Saturday, families fled their hotels, leaving their belongings behind, as the huge flames crawled closer, with some having to spend the night in local stadiums and schools. Some flight operators, including Tui, continued sending tourists to the island as late as Saturday night, with one customer complaining they had been 'abandoned' there.

On Sunday, Tui suspended its flights to Rhodes until Tuesday, while Jet2 Holidays cancelled its trips until next Sunday. However, easyJet has maintained a regular service along with fellow budget airline Ryanair, prompting criticism from consumers.

A spokeswoman for easyJet said it was doing 'all it can' to help customers in Rhodes. The airline invited those due to travel to or from the island until Saturday to change the date for free.

Mum-of-two Jodie told the Manchester Evening News how her family was forced to desperately flee her Rhodes hotel with her husband and two children just hours after arriving on the island. Jodie, 32, and husband Matt, 35, had flown out