Britain to spend 75 million pounds getting stranded citizens home

LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - Britain will spend up to 75 million pounds ($93 million) to get stranded passengers home, foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Monday, adding that airlines like British Airways, easyJet and Virgin would help and planes would be chartered where necessary.

Tens of thousands of British travellers stranded by the spread of coronavirus will be flown home under the new arrangement, which sees those airlines plus Jet2 and Titan offering alternative bookings where routes are cancelled.

"Where commercial flights are no longer running, the government will provide the necessary financial support for special charter flights to bring UK nationals back home," Raab said at a news conference.

"We've designated 75 million pounds to support those flights and the airlines in order to keep the cost down and affordable for those seeking to return to the UK."

($1 = 0.8070 pounds) (Reporting by Alistair Smout, editing by Estelle Shirbon)