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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Business
Joanna Bourke

CAA flies final Thomas Cook holidaymakers home after tour operator's collapse

The final Thomas Cook passengers being flown home as part of a massive emergency repatriation were due to arrive in England on Monday, just as a refunds programme was launched.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority said 392 holidaymakers were set to land in Manchester from Orlando this morning on a plane leased from Hi Fly.

That brings the final number of passengers the CAA has returned home since September 23 to over 140,000.

Those customers were stranded when tour operator Thomas Cook collapsed under a £1.7 billion debt pile last month.

The flying programme involved the use of 150 aircraft from 50 partners.

Around 60% of the costs for the repatriation will be picked up by CAA, with the remainder being funded by the Government.

From today the CAA will open an online application form to start processing Thomas Cook ATOL refunds linked to 360,000 bookings.

Richard Moriarty, CAA boss, said: “The sheer number of refunds means this will be the largest ever ATOL reimbursement programme.”

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