Thomas Cook ceases trading and leaves tens of thousands in travel limbo
Photo: Reuters.
Stranded passengers are left to fend for themselves.
The UK's largest peacetime reprepatriation has been launched after travel giant Thomas Cook collapsed.
An estimated 150,000 tourists are being brought home by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a programme costing £100 million.
Thomas Cook ceased trading in the early hours of Monday morning after failing to secure a last-ditch rescue deal needed to keep the business afloat.
The repatriation will involve flights from 53 airports in 18 countries...
- What happens now that Thomas Cook has collapsed?
Holidaymakers already abroad will be flown home as close as possible to their original return time and date and all future Thomas Cook bookings have been cancelled, affecting around one million people.
The majority of the £100 million cost of the programme will be met from funds held by the Atol scheme, with the Government also making a contribution.
Atol provides protection to customers on package holidays when travel firms collapse, although passengers who made flight-only bookings with Thomas Cook are also being brought home at no extra charge.
Also affected were a host of future holidaymakers back in the UK booked on Thomas Cook holidays, including Lewis and Amy Bromiley from Manchester who had paid £7,000 for their holiday to the Maldives in August. ITV Report. updated the 23rd September 2019