The mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has welcomed news that Hays Travel has bought all of Thomas Cook’s branches.
The Sunderland-based independent travel agent announced yesterday (October 9) it is aiming to save 2,500 jobs through its acquisition of the 555 branches.
John and Irene Hays, owners of Hays Travel, said Thomas Cook shops will start to reopen as Hays Travel stores straight away.
Mr Burnham said: “The news that a large number of Thomas Cook jobs are in line to be saved by a takeover is obviously very welcome.”
However, he said it is not yet clear how many of these roles will be based in the north west.
He added: “The Greater Manchester family has worked incredibly hard in recent weeks to help all those affected by the collapse of the long-standing travel firm.
“Just last week, a jobs fair at Manchester Airport attracted more than 1,000 attendees and around 50 employers – it was an excellent example of how Manchester Airports Group, the Growth Company, Transport for Greater Manchester, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and others are committed to doing the right thing by those people who find themselves suddenly without work.”
The Thomas Cook collapse last month resulted in the loss of 9,000 jobs in the 海角视频, including 3,000 in Greater Manchester.
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A local taskforce set up by Mr Burnham after the Thomas Cook collapse has said Hays Travel’s decision to buy the branches will provide a “much-needed lifeline”.
The GM Taskforce said the announcement was “excellent news” for employees that worked in Thomas Cook branches in the city region.
However, GM Taskforce chair Mark Hughes said: “As a major centre of airline operations there is still much for us to do to ensure that ex-Thomas Cook employees from across all areas of the business continue to get the support they need, as well as those employees within the supply chain who are starting to feel the impact - not least those employed by grounds-handling firm Aviator which recently confirmed that it anticipates ceasing all operations at Manchester Airport later this month.”