‘We won’t leave you stranded’ – minister
‘PLANS IN PLACE’ TO BRING HOLIDAYMAKERS HOME
THE continuing crisis around the fate of the holiday firm Thomas Cook will NOT lead to passengers being stranded, the Foreign Secretary has said.
Appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show yesterday, Dominic Raab assured the firm’s worried customers that contingency planning is in place in the event that the business cannot be saved.
Thomas Cook is thought to be facing administration unless it finds £200m in extra funds. Lastditch talks were underway yesterday to rescue the ailing firm, which is saddled with huge debts.
“We have got all the contingency planning to make sure no one will be stranded,” Mr Raab said.
His comments came as guests at a hotel in Tunisia reported being locked in by security guards before flights back to Manchester as staff demand extra money in fear it won’t be paid by the holiday company. A union leader also said employees are working for the firm while not knowing if they have a job or will even get paid for this month.
Last night, a video emerged from Les Orangers resort in Hammamet showing guests stood behind locked gates and security guards, apparently unable to get out. Twitter user Ella said: “It’s absolutely disgusting that Thomas Cook customers being locked in hotels in Tunisia, Les Orangers, until they pay the bill that the hotel claim Thomas Cook owes them.” Tourists refused to cough up, as they have already paid Thomas Cook, and a stand-off ensued.
It is understood Thomas Cook staff and British Embassy officials were sent in last night to resolve the situation.
Bosses at the struggling business were meeting with the firm’s biggest shareholder along with creditors at a City law firm yesterday in a final bid to piece together a rescue deal.
It was feared the collapse would leave up to 150,000 UK holidaymakers stranded.
But Mr Raab told the Andrew Marr Show: “We have got all the contingency planning to make sure no one will be stranded.
“I don’t want to give all the details of it because it depends on the nature of how people are out there, whether they have got a package holiday or whether they just paid for the flights and sorted out something separately.”
He added: “But I can reassure people that in the worst case scenario, the contingency planning is there to avoid people being stranded.”
Brian Strutton, the general secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association, said that the Government did not act on its own review which followed the Monarch Airlines collapse in 2017.
He added: “This is a mess that could have been avoided.
“Ministers need to step forward and take responsibility for the sake of passengers and staff.”