GATWICK Airport has revealed what the collapse of Thomas Cook means for the airport and its customers.

Early on Monday morning the company ceased trading with immediate effect, with all Thomas Cook bookings, flights and holidays cancelled.

Travel advice has been issued for any travellers due to fly to or from Gatwick with the travel company.

The airport said any customers due to fly out with Thomas cook should not to travel to the airport.

Any return flights with Thomas Cook will also not operate as planned.

The Argus:

Thomas Cook has a store in Brighton and another one in Hove

There are more than 150,000 Thomas Cook customers abroad, which is twice the number that were repatriated following the failure of Monarch. And 9,000 Thomas Cook jobs in the UK are now at risk.

Customers that were due to fly today that have pre-booked and paid for car parking in advance should contact the company used to make the booking.

Travellers who arrive back in the UK after their expected return date will have any additional car parking fees waived on exit.

Thomas Cook ran flights during the summer season, between April and November, to 10 destinations across the world.

People already on holiday say they have already found themselves in terrible situations abroad.

UK Civil Aviation Authority chief executive Richard Moriarty said: “News of Thomas Cook’s collapse is deeply saddening for the company’s employees and customers, and we appreciate that more than 150,000 people currently abroad will be anxious about how they will now return to the UK.

“The government has asked us to support Thomas Cook customers on what is the UK’s largest ever peacetime repatriation.

“We have launched, at very short notice, what is effectively one of the UK’s largest airlines, involving a fleet of aircraft secured from around the world.

"The nature and scale of the operation means that unfortunately some disruption will be inevitable. We ask customers to bear with us as we work around the clock to bring them home.

"We urge anyone affected by this news to check our dedicated website, thomascook.caa.co.uk , for advice and information.”

  • Have you been affected? Contact newsdesk on news@theargus.co.uk.