Travel giant Thomas Cook has ceased trading after failing to secure a last-ditch rescue deal, leaving an estimated 150,000 Britons abroad awaiting repatriation.
Thomas Cook’s chief executive Peter Fankhauser told reporters: “This is a statement I hoped I would never have to make: “Following a decision by the board late last night, the UK Government’s official receiver was appointed in the early hours of this morning, the 23rd of September, to take control of Thomas Cook.
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- UPDATE 74 rescue flights are scheduled Tuesday to bring back 16,500 British holidaymakers.
- UPDATE The Civil Aviation Authority says more than 14,700 Thomas Cook customers have been repatriated to the UK.
- UPDATE Around 140,000 German tourists are stranded.
- UPDATE Around 50,000 Thomas Cook customers are currently in Greece and around 22,000 of them are expected to be flown home over the next three days.
- UPDATE Bringing stranded Brits home ‘will cost £100million’.
- UPDATE Thomas Cook airline Condor says to keep flying.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority is giving go-ahead to position to UK for rescue flights which will bring stranded passengers back.
The government’s plan to repatriate 150,000 British holidaymakers. Ministers have chartered dozens of aircraft as they plan the UK’s biggest repatriation since WWII.
Last flight was #MT2643 landing at Manchester Airport from Orlando.
The group operates a fleet of 85 Airbus jets and 31 Boeing jets, or a total of 116 aircraft based across Europe, according to data from UK-based aviation consultancy IBA.