Thomas Cook have gone into liquidation after last minute negotiations to save the company failed. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the tour operator had “ceased trading with immediate effect”.
Editorial credit: Vytautas Kielaitis / Shutterstock.com
Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook’s chief executive, said the tour operator’s closure was a “matter of profound regret”.
Fankhauser said executives had “worked extensively” in an effort to rescue the 178-year-old travel company, adding: “Although a deal had been largely agreed, an additional facility requested in the last few days of negotiations presented a challenge that ultimately proved insurmountable.
“It is a matter of profound regret to me and the rest of the board that we were not successful.
“I would like to apologise to our millions of customers, and thousands of employees, suppliers and partners who have supported us for many years.”
This has now prompting the UK’s biggest programme to bring 150,000 customers home. The programme is named Operation Matterhorn and is expected to last until October 6th. The programme will rescue almost twice the number of customers brought home after Monarch Airlines failed in 2017 at an estimated cost of £100m.
The government has hired 45 jets to bring customers home and they will fly 64 routes on Monday. Customers will be on special free flights or booked on to another scheduled airline at no extra cost, with details of each flight to be posted on a dedicated website as soon as they are available. The Department of Transport added that a “small number” of passengers might need to book their own flight home and reclaim the costs.
Thomas Cook entered compulsory liquidation in the early hours of September 23rd, 2019 after the company failed to secure an extra £200m needed to keep it going.
Customers of Thomas Cook can visit the CAA’s special Thomas Cook website. Those scheduled to return to the UK within the next 48 hours or who are having problems with their accommodation or need special assistance can ring 0300 303 2800 in the UK or +44 1753 330 330 from abroad.
Thomas Cook Group, including the UK tour operator and airline, has ceased trading with immediate effect.
All #ThomasCook bookings, including flights and holidays, have now been cancelled.
Visit: https://t.co/g4G2b6RlHc pic.twitter.com/BxJMv5Yaw1
— UK Civil Aviation Authority (@UK_CAA) September 23, 2019
Around one million customers who had travel booked in the coming months have been told not to go to the airport, as all bookings, including flights and holidays, have been cancelled.
Thomas Cook’s planes that were operating overnight were grounded after they reached their destination. Now 21,000 staff are set to lose their jobs.
People who are on a package holiday are covered by the Atol scheme. This means they will pay for your accommodation abroad, however you may have to move to a different hotel or apartment. Atol will also pay to have you brought home if the airline is no longer operating. If you have a holiday booked in the future, you will also be refunded by the scheme.
If you have booked a flight-only deal, to get a refund you will need to apply to your travel insurance company or credit card and debit card provider.
