London (AFP)

The pioneer tour operator, Britain's Thomas Cook, went bankrupt on Monday, forcing the authorities to launch an unprecedented repatriation of some 600,000 holidaymakers around the world, while the fate of the more than 20,000 employees remained uncertain.

Thomas Cook, who had been in existence for 178 years, went out of business overnight after failing on a marathon weekend to find the funds to survive.

If many of the 9,000 employees in Britain were at risk of unemployment, the liquidation audit firms, KPMG and AlixPartners, might try to resell some of the business, which would preserve some of the jobs.

The authority in charge of the liquidation, the Official Receiver, told AFP that it is still early to decide, while a source close to the record pointed out that "many options are on the table" .

Abroad, the future of the tour operator's employees was even more vague because local legislation on bankruptcy deposits differs.

On the tourist side, the most massive civilian repatriation operation in history has started. The British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) orchestrated the return of 150,000 citizens of the Crown, twice as much as the bankruptcy of the airline Monarch two years ago.

The cost of repatriating the British should be around 100 million pounds, according to the government.

- Employees in tears -

Some 40 aircraft have been made available by the British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to bring tourists from Palma de Mallorca, a popular destination for the British, but also Turkey, Greece, Tunisia or even Cuba, among others.

Donna Carslaw was on Thomas Cook's last plane that landed at Manchester Airport that night. She described on Sky News an emotional atmosphere on board, with employees "in tears".

Others could not leave for their long-awaited holidays, like James and Kim Egerton-Stanbridge: "we booked this trip to Egypt a year ago for a special birthday on the company Love Holidays", for whom Thomas Cook provided flights.

"Yesterday evening again, everything seemed as planned, boarding passes, connections ...". James and Kim have not received any information from the tour operator on how to proceed since the bankruptcy.

They decided to go to London's Gatwick airport to see if Love Holidays could find them another flight because the hotel remains available. They feel "very upset", "abandoned" and sad.

At Palma de Mallorca Airport, Thomas Cook's British customers anxiously waited in the long queue or sat on their suitcases. "We spent so much time worrying about what was going to happen, watching the news, instead of relaxing," said 34-year-old saleswoman Julie Payne of Newcastle.

In Cancun, Mexico, the two flights scheduled for Monday to Manchester and London have been canceled, said a spokesman for the airport. "For now, there are no desperate tourists at the airport yet, but we remain attentive," he added.

In Cuba, teams from the British embassy were on their way to the three regions with more than 2,000 tourists booked with the tour operator. "We are working so that Thomas Cook's customers can have their flight home but their hotels are guaranteed, they will finish their holidays and return home," said AFP spokesman.

The fate of the tour operator was played out in a few days: creditor banks asked him last week to find 200 million pounds (227 million euros) of additional funding to validate a rescue plan of 900 million pounds led by Fosun, first shareholder. Despite a marathon of negotiations this weekend, it proved impossible to raise more money.

The British Labor opposition said the government should have rescued Thomas Cook, but Transport Minister Grant Shapps said it would only delay the inevitable.

According to him, "the group had profound difficulties to evolve in the travel sector that has moved away from downtown agencies to turn to online bookings."

- Refund -

The CAA recalls that organized tours benefit from the ATOL guarantee, which stems from a European directive: "Given the scale of the situation, some disruption is inevitable, but the CAA will do its best to bring people to their homes as close as possible. as soon as possible ".

The CAA notes that customers who have purchased a stay they have not used yet will be entitled to a "full refund" and that those who are stuck abroad will also be able to recover the costs incurred on the spot if their return is delayed. .

© 2019 AFP