Thomas Cook is the world’s oldest travel operator and unfortunately they are set to go into administration, which will ultimately impact Irish Consumers (Especially in the North) and impact their retail operations across Northern Ireland.
Thomas Cook bosses had spent today trying to secure £200 million to keep the travel business going – but may ultimately have failed.
It is understood that airlines including British Airways and easyJet will be involved in the airlift for holidaymakers using Thomas Cook, whose destinations range from mainland Europe to north Africa, the Middle East, the US and the Caribbean.
The business, which also has significant operations in mainland Europe, employs 21,000 people, many in the UK. It has a total of 600,000 people on holiday currently, including Irish travellers, with Germany and Scandinavia among its major customer bases alongside Britain. It also operates about 560 shops on UK high streets.
Irish consumers should check their Travel insurance policies or reach out to consumer guidance outlets for information on their rights and support.
Hopefully a solution will be found, not only for travellers, but also for those employed by Thomas Cook in Northern Ireland.
Update: By now you all know our report has sadly come true.
Currently it is estimated that around 6,000 people who flew with Thomas Cook from Belfast International Airport have been left in limbo as a result of the company’s collapse, 10% of those travels are from the Republic of Ireland. All of the stranded passengers will be repatriated on flights during the next 14 days.
Media reports say the first repatriation flight, from Turkey, is due to land at Aldergrove at around 8pm.
