Air travel chaos: Naval rescue plan questioned as ferry firms report plenty of spaces

Three of the Royal Navy's largest warships were last night being drafted in to help bring British travellers back.

However, few details about their likely role have been announced and experts and ferry operators were left puzzled because they said space remained available.

The three vessels may also be able to accommodate a total of only about 2,100 people.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday announced two ships would be used, while a third, on its way to Spain to pick up troops, may also "be of help".

HMS Albion, an 18,500-tonne landing platform dock, was due to arrive at Santander in northern Spain this morning to collect some 300 British soldiers – and could be used to assist other Britons. The troops, from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, will fly there from Cyprus after six months in Afghanistan.

Glasgow-built 22,500-tonne assault ship HMS Ocean was sailing south from off the coast of south west England. Aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, the 20,235-tonne Royal Navy's flagship, was also diverted from the Joint Warrior exercise off north-west Scotland.

However, the MoD was unable to give details of where they were heading or what part they were likely to play to helping people return home.

A spokesman said: "We are looking at how a number of Royal Navy vessels could provide support to UK government efforts to assist British travellers stranded abroad and wishing to return home to the UK.

"We are urgently looking into the detail of how this support will work in practice."

Tim Fish, a maritime analyst at Jane's Information Group, said: "There are very large platforms but it does sound odd to use them as ferries. They are not comfortable by any means.

"They are not ferries so they will take longer to load and unload in port but they have a large enough capacity to get thousands of people on board for a quick trip across the Channel. There should be enough capacity provided by commercial operators to transport vehicles in the regular manner so this effort is mainly for the extra people that are trying to get back."

Ferry firms said they were coping with the additional passengers. A spokesman for Brittany Ferries, said: "We have plenty of spaces on routes between France and the UK."

P&O Ferries said it had been able to accommodate everyone who wanted to travel from Calais to Dover.