Srishti Paruthi
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Imagine being ready and packed for a holiday and you’re affected by an announcement that goes like this – ‘The travel agency you’ve booked your tickets from has ceased trading with immediate effect’, while it’s sorrowful to even form a picture of, many in reality have been left suffering as the oldest travel firm, Thomas Cook, collapses.
Hundreds of thousands of travellers have been left stranded across the world. The company said, in a statement, that its board “concluded that it had no choice but to take steps to enter into compulsory liquidation with immediate effect.”
“We expect that AlixPartners UK LLP will now work very closely with the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK, to effect the repatriation of all UK customers impacted by this announcement.”
We are sorry to announce that Thomas Cook has ceased trading with immediate effect.
This account will not be monitored.
Please visit https://t.co/WWiKkzLYQJ for further advice and information.#ThomasCook pic.twitter.com/Nf1X3jn97x
— Thomas Cook (@ThomasCookUK) September 23, 2019
The 178-year-old-holiday firm’s chief executive Peter Fankhauser said, “This marks a deeply sad day for the company which pioneered package holidays and made travel possible for millions of people around the world.”
"Despite continuing to keep Thomas Cook going in recent weeks with dignity & integrity while their own futures were being secretly decided we don’t even know if staff will get a pay cheque this month. It’s despicable. TCX pilots and all staff deserve better than this…
(3/4)
— BALPA (@BALPApilots) September 23, 2019
Brian Strutton, general secretary of the union British Airline Pilots’ Association, took to Twitter to call out the company, “The hopes of all Thomas Cook employees that their airline could survive has been brutally quashed this morning as they wake up to find they have no job,” said Brian Strutton.
If you are a Thomas Cook passenger still in the UK and yet to travel, please do not go to the airport as your flight will not be running.
Please visit our website, https://t.co/g4G2b6RlHc, for further information.#ThomasCook pic.twitter.com/YAf94iE4nf
— UK Civil Aviation Authority (@UK_CAA) September 23, 2019
The UK Civil Aviation Authority tweeted on Sunday that all Thomas Cook bookings have been cancelled. In a statement, the aviation authority said there are “more than 150,000 Thomas Cook customers abroad, almost twice the number that were repatriated following the failure of Monarch.” It added that the government has asked the aviation authority to run a repatriation program, which would return Thomas Cook customers to the United Kingdom, from September 23 – October 6. The aviation authority has for the same launched a website where customers can find all the details on their flights.
