UK airlines are continuing to sell flights for immediate departure from the UK to Rhodes despite the wildfires that have seen thousands of tourists evacuated from the island.

Holiday firms Jet2, the UK’s biggest tour operator, and Tui both announced on Sunday they would be cancelling all imminent flights and holidays to Rhodes and offering refunds because of the fires, which have been raging on the Greek island for six days.

But other airlines are continuing to offer seats on flights to Rhodes for a departure on Sunday. Ryanair has one seat left for sale on the 3.40pm flight from London Stansted for £394 one way, with a Manchester-Rhodes flight available at 3.30pm for £214.

From Gatwick, the 3.55pm easyJet flight to Rhodes is on sale for £208 one way. Flights on easyJet from Bristol, Gatwick and Luton are already on the way to the island. But the airline is allowing changes for passengers booked up to 29 July for those who no longer wish to travel.

British Airways does not fly every day from London to Rhodes, and is selling its sole departure for Monday afternoon from Gatwick for £220. The first available return trip is on Wednesday.

Jet2 and Tui are dispatching aircraft with no passengers from UK airports to Rhodes to pick up holidaymakers. Both are sending teams to help holidaymakers

Tui customers on the island are being told: “We are aware that many of our guests are now located at evacuation centres or found temporary shelter at other hotels. We are relentlessly working on improving the situation for our guests and our teams are working closely with the local authorities.

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

Rhodes Airport is on the northwestern shore of the Greek island, close to the capital, Rhodes Town. With no imminent danger in that area, airlines are entitled to operate a “business as usual” policy, with normal terms applying.

But most are expected to provide some options to customers, with package holidaymakers benefiting from extra protection.

It comes after holidaymakers were forced to flee resorts on Saturday, with some British tourists describing “terrifying” scenes of turmoil as power cuts caused “chaos” on the island.

In previous days the wildfire was confined to the island’s mountainous centre, but aided by winds, very high temperatures and dry conditions, it spread on Saturday towards the coast on the island’s central-eastern side.

The Foreign Office updated its foreign travel advice on Saturday on the heatwaves and wildfires in Europe, urging Britons affected by the wildfires in Rhodes to follow the guidance of emergency services, and anyone set to travel to check with their travel operator or hotel.

I am in Rhodes and want to leave as soon as possible. What are my options?

Many tourists are in that position. British Airways has said passengers booked to fly from Rhodes to London can switch to earlier flights without penalty – though little space may be available. The earliest BA departure with space available is on Wednesday evening.

Other carriers may adopt a similar policy. But availability is scarce, with no seats on easyJet flights to the London area until late on Tuesday evening.

Most airlines are operating their normal schedules, and are likely to continue to do so from Rhodes – though more outbound flights may be empty, as Jet2 and Tui are doing.

The first airline to announce it will operate special repatriation flights in addition to the normal schedule is easyJet. Two aircraft will be flown out from Gatwick on Monday, with 421 additional seats to the planned nine flights.

An easyJet spokesperson said: “We will also operate a further repatriation flight on Tuesday and continue to keep under review if additional repatriation flights are needed.”

Some tourists who were evacuated from their accommodation in a hurry left their passports behind.

A help desk is being set up at Rhodes airport on Sunday afternoon by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the British Embassy in Athens reports. The aim: “To facilitate, in cooperation with the relevant Embassies, the timely departure of visitors who have lost their travel documents.”

Ryanair says: “Passengers departing from Rhodes should be advised that we will accept temporary travel documentation issued by the Greek Police.”

Flights are full. Are there any other ways out from the island?

Yes. Dodekanisos Seaways sails once or twice a day from Rhodes Town to Kos, where there are fairly frequent flights to the UK. The 8am sailing is usually the fastest and most reliable, taking around 2h30m. A taxi will take you from the port to the airport in about 30 minutes, with much cheaper but slower buses available.

Flights on Tuesday 25 July include a Ryanair departure to London Stansted which is currently selling at just £37.

The ferry voyage to Marmaris in Turkey is shorter, at around one hour, but the closest airport, Dalaman, is a long way from the town – making for a 90-minute taxi journey or two hours in a bus. In addition the frontier formalities leaving Greece and arriving in Turkey will take time.

If I am brought home early, will I get some or all of my money back?

Package holidaymakers whose trips are curtailed because their accommodation cannot be used are due a partial refund under the Package Travel Regulations. But it may not be as much as the traveller might expect.

If a two-week holiday that cost £1,000 per person ends a week early, the refund will not simply be half the cost of the trip, ie £500. The holiday company is entitled to subtract the value of the flights, which might be £400 – meaning only half of the remainder will be refunded, ie £300.

If you make the decision to return ahead of schedule, no compensation is due. Travel insurance may help with extra costs if you can demonstrate you spent them reasonably.

I am booked to travel imminently to Rhodes. Can I cancel for a refund?

If the travel firm or airline cancels your trip you can expect a full refund within two weeks. If the flight is going ahead, then your rights depend on whether you are on a proper package holiday or have booked flights and accommodation separately.

Under the Package Travel Regulations, holidaymakers can cancel for a refund “if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at the place of destination or its immediate vicinity which significantly affect the performance of the package or the carriage of passengers to the destination”.

In the case of key parts of Rhodes, this looks like reasonable grounds to cancel.

These are the companies’ policies for imminent departures as of 2pm on Sunday.

I am booked to travel to Rhodes in August. Can I cancel?

Not at this stage. Depending on events over the next few days, travel firms will make decisions on their plans for the peak summer month.

What does the Foreign Office say?

“If you are a British national affected by wildfires in Rhodes near Kiotari, Pefkoi, Lindos and the surrounding area, please follow the guidance from the emergency services. Call the Greek Emergency Services on 112 if you are in immediate danger.

“If you are planning to travel to Rhodes, please check with your travel operator or hotel prior to travel that the area you plan to visit is not impacted by the current wildfires.”

British nationals in Rhodes impacted by the wildfire can call the Foreign Office emergency helpline number, +44 20 7008 5000, for consular assistance.

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