In order to bring the Brits affected by the Thomas Cook collapse back home (click here), the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced that at least four repatriation flights will be departing from Faro Airport tomorrow (September 24), on Saturday (September 28) and on October 1 and 5.
So far, details have only been revealed for the first flight which will depart from Faro at 10.15am and will arrive in Manchester at 1.30pm.
Meantime, more and more people are reacting to the news that Thomas Cook has collapsed, leaving around 600,000 holidaymakers stranded, including 150,000 Brits.
Albufeira mayor José Carlos Rolo says that it is “very worrying” and “incredibly negative” news for a region that depends on the tourism sector.
“Following the bankruptcy of other companies, such as Monarch and Air Berlin, this is another complex problem to add to Brexit,” Rolo told Barlavento newspaper.
He said that local councils should try to help counteract the effects of the company’s collapse although he says that the responsibility is ultimately in the hands of the regional tourism board (RTA) “which should, together with local councils, study possible solutions”.
Algarve hotel association boss Elidérico Viegas has also expanded upon his initial remarks, adding that this bankruptcy could be particularly harmful to the Algarve.
“What’s at stake is not just the tourists who had holidays planned in the Algarve and now will not come here, but also the debts that have yet to be paid from the last two months,” he said.
Pedro Costa Ferreira, president of Portugal’s travel and tourism agencies association (APAVT), was more measured in the way he reacted to the news, saying that the impact of Thomas Cook’s collapse “would be minimal”.
He explained that Thomas Cook did not operate its own flights in the Algarve and that its holiday packages included flights with other airlines, which is why he believes the impact regarding the repatriation of holidaymakers in the region would be minimal.
The collapse of Thomas Cook has been described as “the biggest failure ever of a UK package holiday company”.
