ONE in five of passengers standed by the collapse of Thomas Cook have returned to the UK after two days of the crisis.
The Civil Aviation Authority says that it has brought back 94% of customers on the original day of their departure of their Thomas Cook flight - with 31,500 having been brough back in the first two days after the crash of the travel firm.
On Monday, the CAA said the 178-year-old tour operator had "ceased trading with immediate effect".
It triggered the biggest ever peacetime repatriation, aimed at bringing more than 155,000 British holidaymakers home.
Some 70 flights operated on Tuesday to bring back more than 14,000 passengers.
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Over 70 flights are scheduled to operate today (Wednesday), to bring back a further 16,500 people.
The CAA said: "The CAA wants everyone to continue to enjoy their holiday as we aim to bring people home on their original day of departure with Thomas Cook, or very shortly thereafter."
The flying programme will continue until Sunday 6 October with more than 1,000 flights planned.
Richard Moriarty, CAA chief executive said: “We have now operated over 130 flights in the first two days of this operation, returning almost 30,000 people to the UK.
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"I would like those remaining on holiday to enjoy the rest of their stay because we aim to also fly you home on the day when you were originally booked to fly with Thomas Cook, or very shortly thereafter.
"This remains a highly complex operation and I would like to thank holidaymakers for their patience as some inconvenience and disruption is likely. I'd also like to stress my thanks to the UK airline industry and our partners which have lent us incredible support for what is the UK's largest ever peacetime repatriation”.
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