York jobs lost and holidays cancelled after Thomas Cook ceases trading

The UK's largest peacetime repatriation has now been launched following the news.

An estimated 150,000 tourists are being brought home by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a flight programme costing £100 million.

Thomas Cook ceased trading in the early hours of this morning after failing to secure a last-ditch rescue deal.

The Thomas Cook store in Nessgate, which has closed down

The company was unable to secure the extra £200 million needed to keep the business afloat following a full day of crucial talks with the major shareholder and creditors on Sunday.

All Thomas Cook bookings, including flights and holidays, have been cancelled.

Among those affected by the company's collapse is Gavin Wilson, 32, and his partner Alice Cooper, 27, who live in the Heworth area of York.

They were set to fly to Las Vegas on October 19 as part of a group five to celebrate Gavin's sister-in-law's 30th birthday. However, they have had to cancel the holiday as they booked the flights with Thomas Cook.

He explained: "Thankfully I was quite wise six months ago. I booked the flights on a credit card so it should be fairly straightforward to get a refund from the credit card operator.

"Because its still four weeks ahead we've managed to get a full refund on the hotel as well.

"It is very disappointing, we were looking forward to it.

"It's a great shame but there's employees and people with weddings booked that are much worse off."

Gavin Wilson and his partner Alice Cooper

Ryan Kitching, who works in York, and his girlfriend were due to fly out to Mexico on October 13 for an all inclusive package holiday.

He said: "To be honest I wasn't shocked [when I heard the news]. I've been keeping an eye on it for the past couple of days. It was more frustrating than anything. It was something me and my partner had planned for quite a while.

"We've both been working extra hours to pay for it. We thought we would treat ourselves.

"It's something we were massively excited about.

"We wouldn't be able to get the money together to book anything else.

"It is devastating."

He added: "I have spoken this morning to my bank and to the CAA. CAA told me that they're setting up a dedicated service that means that ourselves and other affected passengers can claim a refund.

"That's commencing from Monday, September 30. They said they're aiming to refund everyone within 60 days of the claim."

Catherine Adamson, 52, and her husband Bill, 60, who live in Huntington, were due to travel to the Greek island of Kefalonia this Saturday for a 10-day holiday, but their flights were with Thomas Cook.

Catherine explained: "The holiday is booked as a package so it's completely covered from a financial point of view.

"It is just the flight that is the issue.

"We're waiting for the travel agent to tell us if we can go but on a different date or offer us a different holiday altogether.

"I know we will go somewhere but we don't know where and when."

Yesterday, The Press reported that Thomas Cook's store in York city centre had closed down, with the branch in Nessgate empty and locked.

Its two other stores in York, at Clifton Moor and at Monks Cross Shopping Park, will close with "immediate effect," a spokesperson for the The Insolvency Service said, adding: "The special managers from KPMG will attend the vast majority of stores where they will work with Thomas Cook employees to wind-up the shops’ operations."

The service was unable to confirm how many jobs have been lost as a result of the closures in York. 

Richard Moriarty, the chief executive of the CAA, said the Government had asked his organisation to launch "the UK's largest ever peacetime repatriation" which will involve flights from 53 airports in 18 countries.

Around 40 aircraft from as far away as Malaysia have been chartered to operate approximately 1,000 flights over the next two weeks.

Most of the flights will be from European airports, but customers will also be brought home from Thomas Cook's long-haul destinations such as those in the US, the Caribbean and Cuba.

Thomas Cook's chief executive, Peter Fankhauser, said his company had "worked exhaustively" to salvage a rescue package.

He said: "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.

"Despite huge efforts over a number of months and further intense negotiations in recent days, we have not been able to secure a deal to save our business.

"I know that this outcome will be devastating to many people and will cause a lot of anxiety, stress and disruption."

"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 marks a deeply sad day for the company which pioneered package holidays and made travel possible for millions of people around the world."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to help holidaymakers stranded by the firm's closure, as he questioned whether bosses are not incentivised to prevent their business's demise.

Mr Johnson told reporters on board the RAF Voyager travelling to New York for the United Nations General Assembly that his thoughts were with customers.

He said: "It's a very difficult situation and obviously our thoughts are very much with the customers with Thomas Cook, the holidaymakers, who may now face difficulties getting home.

"One way or the other the state will have to step in quite rightly to help stranded holidaymakers."

The Department for Transport (DfT) said all customers currently abroad with Thomas Cook who are booked to return to the UK over the next two weeks will be brought home as close as possible to their booked return date.

Thomas Cook package holiday customers will also see the cost of their accommodation covered by the Government, through the Air Travel Trust Fund or Atol scheme, the DfT said.

Unions representing Thomas Cook staff, of which there are 9,000 across the group in the UK, had previously urged the Government to intervene financially.

A million customers will also lose their future bookings, although with most package holidays and some flights-only trips being protected by the Atol scheme, customers who have not yet left home will be given a refund or replacement holiday.

For those on holiday, the scheme will make sure they can finish their holiday and return home.

One of the world's oldest and largest travel companies, the firm had been trading for 178 years - having been established in 1841 by a cabinet maker who organised a day trip for temperance movement supporters.

As of this year the group employed 21,000 people in 16 countries, operated 105 aircraft and 200 own-brand hotels and resorts.

Thomas Cook customers are advised to visit the CAA's dedicated website, thomascook.caa.co.uk, for more information about what they should do next.