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| Champions League final: Fans set out for Kiev after flight cancellations | |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| Liverpool fans have been setting out on their journeys to Kiev for the Champions League final after a series of flight cancellations. | |
| Two travel companies axed flights in the week, leaving some supporters unable to make the game against Real Madrid. | |
| Liverpool John Lennon Airport said 4,500 passengers were due to fly to the Ukrainian capital on Saturday morning. | |
| A spokesman said flights were running as scheduled. | |
| "Things are running on time, fans are really cooperative - so far, so good," Robin Tudor said. | |
| A total of 23 flights, departing from 03:00 BST, are carrying passengers. | |
| Excitement has been building ahead of Liverpool's first Champions League final in 11 years. | |
| One fan told BBC Breakfast: "I'm really nervous but it's the whole day of it, it's the excitement, the buzz, the fans and and I can't wait to get to Kiev and join in with the atmosphere." | |
| Another who arrived in Ukraine earlier said: "Friends of ours have had flights cancelled, they have managed to rearrange to get here - we're here, we're ready for it and we're going to win it." | |
| Myriad Travel said its flight on Friday had been cancelled by its supplier as the aircraft "does not have the correct licence to fly". | |
| Three other flights from the Liverpool-based company will go ahead and affected customers will be refunded. | Three other flights from the Liverpool-based company will go ahead and affected customers will be refunded. |
| Operator Worldchoice Sports cancelled three flights on Thursday but secured one extra three-night trip. | Operator Worldchoice Sports cancelled three flights on Thursday but secured one extra three-night trip. |
| Myriad Travel said it had been trying to source alternatives but had been unable to do so. | Myriad Travel said it had been trying to source alternatives but had been unable to do so. |
| The flight was provided by aircraft charter company Air Partner Ltd. | The flight was provided by aircraft charter company Air Partner Ltd. |
| A spokesman for Air Partner said the company "deeply regret" that the original aircraft was unable to fly. | A spokesman for Air Partner said the company "deeply regret" that the original aircraft was unable to fly. |
| "On Thursday morning, we offered a number of alternative aircraft solutions to the travel agent that contracted us, but they declined them, and we fully refunded the travel agent," the spokesman added. | "On Thursday morning, we offered a number of alternative aircraft solutions to the travel agent that contracted us, but they declined them, and we fully refunded the travel agent," the spokesman added. |
| Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson said his team had been "working flat out" to find alternative solutions for fans with cancelled flights. | |
| "We regret to say that we have been unable to achieve a resolution that will satisfy everyone," he said. | |
| "We now must accept the fact that some fans who have tickets may not be able to make the game." | |
| He said he was "hugely disappointed and frustrated at the utter shambles loyal fans have been put through". | |
| "UEFA and the companies involved will have questions to answer." | |
| The club said it would offer a full refund on match tickets for those who had been booked on the cancelled flights. |