BOSSES at Bournemouth tour operator Palmair said it would be business as usual this week, despite the problems at European.

Palmair leases a Boeing 737 from the company and yesterday Managing Director, David Skillicorn, was organising alternative planes for his flights.

The immediate priority was to bring home 90 passengers from Monastir, Tunisia, today.

Tomorrow there is a flight to Fuerteventura with a return service later in the day.

Mr Skillicorn told the Daily Echo last night: “This has come as a something of a surprise and we have been pulling out all the stops to make alternatives arrangements.”

He added: “Although we have been leasing aircraft from European for some time, the two companies are quite separate and not connected in any other way.

“The collapse of European does not affect Palmair, apart from the need to find alternative planes.

“Fortunately we are now in the winter season and there are substantially fewer flights than in the summer period.

“There are also a large number of aircraft sitting around doing nothing at the moment because many airlines have been cutting capacity and routes in recent months.”