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Holiday Extras Travel Help

Holiday Extras Travel Help

Information on Wildfires in Crete and Air Traffic Control Strikes in France

Last update: July 04th 2025, 08:25

Flight Disruptions in July 25

Wildfires in Crete

More than 1,500 people have been evacuated from homes and hotels in southern Crete as a fierce wildfire continues to spread near the village of Achlia, in the Ierapetra region. The blaze has swept through forests and farmland and is currently being battled by over 230 firefighters and 10 aircraft.

Evacuations are ongoing, mobile phone alerts have been issued, and emergency services are urging residents and visitors to leave affected areas immediately. Some tourists have been relocated to safer hotels and emergency shelters.

There is no current indication that Heraklion or Chania airports are closed or that flights are cancelled but travel to the southern part of the island is likely to be disrupted. Roads around Ferma and Achlia are affected, and smoke is impacting air quality in the area. As yet, no serious injuries have been reported.

Additional Industrial Action

French air traffic controllers have announced a 48-hour strike on 3–4 July 2025. This industrial action is expected to cause disruption to flights across Europe, including routes to, from, and over French airspace.

Even if you're not flying to France, your flight may still be affected — many routes from the UK to destinations such as Spain, Portugal, and Greece pass through French airspace. Airlines including easyJet and Ryanair have already pre-emptively cancelled some flights. Others may be delayed or rerouted at short notice.

Our advice to all customers who may be disrupted by the situation in Crete or the French industrial action:

  • Monitor local news and official travel advisories for the latest updates.
  • Contact your airline and accommodation provider directly for the latest information on your specific travel plans.
  • Consider the flexibility of your bookings:
    • Customers with Flextras: Free cancellations bookings can cancel any time up to the booked day and time of travel if required. You'll be issued with a flexible voucher that you can use to rebook once you have your new travel details.
    • Flextras: Saver customers can cancel for a voucher that you can use to book the same product again once your new plans are confirmed.
  • We encourage you to use our online amends system to change dates, times, terminals, or other booking options, as well as cancelling your booking if necessary.
  • For customers with questions about a Holiday Extras travel insurance policy, please email [email protected] for advice.

Customers Already Abroad

Our support team are fully briefed and are here to assist and guide those abroad and those concerned about their travel plans. The best way to reach them is using our Live Chat service, Monday - Friday 9am - 8pm, Saturday & Sunday 9am - 5pm.

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Links and more information

We recommend checking the following sources for the latest information: