"A legal nicety, courtesy of the EU, means 100,000 (really?) passengers need to be found/funded alternatives to be re-patriated. Another law that will need to be, and might be, Britisized, when Treeza (or Jezza gawd help us) get round to it."

The UK repatriated people stranded by bankrupt airlines long before joining the EU. I suggest you look at the history of Court Line.
I actually know a little about this as a part of the operation survived in Capetown as Court Helicopters and I flew them for 2.5 years.
Court Line