Some of Europe's biggest tour operators have begun flying holidaymakers home as wildfires on the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu enter their seventh day.

Nineteen thousand people were evacuated over the weekend from Rhodes, with the island's deputy mayor describing blazes as "out of control."

Holidaymakers have been forced to sleep at the island's airport, or in school buildings, sports halls and community centers awaiting help. 

Authorities say up to five thousand people have found shelter in temporary accommodation, most being British, French, Dutch and German nationals.

Emergency flights

The Greek transport ministry says, between them, TUI and Jet2, are planning fourteen flights to Rhodes in the coming days. So far Tui says three plane loads of passengers have already returned to the UK.

Similarly, Britain's easyJet says it is operating two repatriation flights on Monday with more planned this week.

But Ireland's Ryanair says its flights to and from Rhodes are operating as normal.

"We have a lot of customers there who want to get home. We're not going to leave them behind so we'll travel back in and out," said Ryanair's Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorahan.

In Corfu two and a half thousand people have been moved from hotels and holiday accommodation in the island's north.

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International effort

The German government has been holding an emergency meeting to discuss plans for repatriating its citizens who are currently on holiday in affected areas.

Efforts to tackle the blazes have turned international, with neighboring Turkiye sending firefighting aircraft, along with Croatia and Egypt.

Temperatures over much of Greece have exceeded 104 degrees Fahrenheit this week and fires are continuing to spread.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned of "another three difficult days ahead," with other locations described as being at "extreme fire risk," including the island of Crete and the entire Athens metropolitan area.

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