Hello, and welcome. In the last hour, the uks oldest travel firm, thomas cook, has announced it ceased trading after talks with creditors and shareholders to raise the 250 million to avoid collapse failed. Ministers say plans to fly holidaymakers back to the uk are in place. It was one of the Worlds Largest travel firms and employed 22,000 staff, 9,000 of whom are in the uk, and serves 19 million customers a year in 16 Different Countries. Simon calder is the travel editorfor the independent and he joins us from Manchester Airport in the north of england. It meant that nobody will be flying out of here in the morning. Flights we re out of here in the morning. Flights were due to start in three hours time heading off from here to greece and that is not going to happen. Thomas cook has stopped trading and this is it really the mightiest brand in travel. It has been going for 178 years. The numbers are awful. 21,000 people im afraid i going to be looking for newjobs. There is around 1 Mil
The uks oldest travel firm, thomas cook, has announced it ceased trading after talks with creditors and shareholders to raise the 250 million to avoid collapse failed. Ministers say plans to fly holidaymakers back to the uk are in place. It was one of the Worlds Largest travel firms and employed 22,000 staff, 9,000 of whom are in the uk, and serves 19 million customers a year in 16 Different Countries. Simon calder is the travel editorfor the independent and he joins us from Manchester Airport in the north of england. The Tour Operator had been thriving for many decades and staff here are simply stunned by what is happening. The flights are still coming in. Aircraft arriving from cyprus, turkey, some en route across the north atlantic but when they land, they will find that the staff very sadly have lost theirjobs. The passengers will be the last people to enjoy the service and this is being repeated at airports across britain and germany as well as scandinavia. Last flights arriving a
A warm welcome to the programme, briefing you on all you need to know in global news, business and sport. And you can be part of the conversation. Were asking you about our breaking news, the collapse of thomas cook. Are you on a thomas cook holiday . Do you work for the travel company . How are you impacted . Get in touch just use the hashtag bbc the briefing. Lets bring you the details on the story that broke in the early hours. Thomas cook, one of the Worlds Largest travel companies has ceased trading. The final confirmation came about three hours ago, after prolonged talks to try and save the company failed to bear fruit. It was trying to raise 250 million to continue and had asked the uk government for help. Now a major repatriotion operation is underway to bring home the estimated 150,000 uk passengars stranded overseas. Simon jones begins our coverage. Grounded, the uk oldest holiday firm has collapsed after 178 years. A day of frantic negotiations failed. At two oclock this mor
What your rights are if youve got a thomas cook booking. Good morning. The weather is looking rather unsettled. We do have some rain coming in from the south west with strengthening wins. I will have more later. Its monday the 23rd of september. Our top story. Thomas cook has collapsed after last minute negotiations aimed at saving the holiday firm failed. At two oclock this morning the Civil Aviation authority said the Tour Operator had ceased trading with immediate effect. Its also launched its biggest ever peacetime repatriation, to bring 150,000 holidaymakers back home. Customers who are still in the uk have been told not to go to the airport. Throughout the morning on breakfast well be speaking to those responsible for scrambling planes to rescue stranded tourists, and well be hearing what the government plans to do to avoid further problems and delays for passengers. With the overnight developments, heres simonjones. Grounded, the uks oldest holiday firm has collapsed after 178 y