KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Another 74 flights were scheduled Tuesday to bring back to UK 16,800 more Thomas Cook customers after the UK’s oldest tour company ceased trading a day earlier, according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The CAA in a statement said this is an addition to the 64 flights on Monday that had successfully brought back more than 14,700 passengers to the UK on the first day of the operation, dubbed as the largest peacetime repatriation in UK’s history.
“This means that over 95 per cent of all those due to return yesterday (Monday) were repatriated by the CAA. We are working around the clock, in conjunction with the Government and the aviation industry, to deliver the flying programme after Thomas Cook ceased trading,” it said in a statement posted on its website.
The CAA said with 13 days remaining for the operation, there are still approximately 135,300 passengers still due to return to the UK.
The CAA Chief Executive Richard Moriarty said the operation was launched at the government’s request to return more than 100,000 people to the UK.
“A repatriation of this scale and nature is unprecedented and unfortunately there will be some inconvenience and disruption for customers. We will do everything we can to minimise this as the operation continues,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.
The Flying programme continues until Sunday, Oct 6 with more than 1,000 flights planned.
Meanwhile, passengers in North American destinations are advised to check thomascook.caa.co.uk for details on how to contact British Airways or Virgin Atlantic, who will book them a new seat on one of their flights.
–NNN-BERNAMA
