Thomas Cook collapse explained

The UK Civil Aviation Authority has launched Britain's largest peacetime repatriation to bring home stranded Thomas Cook passengers following the company's collapse.

Here is a look at some of the key numbers involved in the operation:

FLIGHTS

All of the travel company's flights have been cancelled, meaning the 105 aircraft it operates, according to its website, have been grounded.

CURRENT TRAVELLERS ABROAD

There are 600,000 Thomas Cook travellers who have been left stuck overseas, more than 150,000 of them Britons.

THE SIZE OF THE AIRLIFT

The airlift is almost twice the size of the repatriation effort required when the Monarch company went bust in October 2017 when the CAA put on 567 flights to bring almost 84,000 passengers back to the UK.

THE COST

The final cost of the Monarch operation to taxpayers was about STG50 million ($A92 million).

The Department for Transport would not put a firm figure on how much it would cost this time around but it is understood it could top STG100 million ($A184 million).

WHAT'S INVOLVED?

Dozens of charter planes have been brought in from as far afield as Malaysia to assist with the mass airlift.

WHO IS COVERED?

Only holiday-makers with return flights booked within the next two weeks, between Monday September 23 and Sunday October 6, will qualify for a free flight home, as close as possible to their original return date.

WILL YOU GET YOUR MONEY BACK FOR OTHER TRAVEL?

On September 30, one week into the repatriation process, the CAA will launch a service which will seek to process all refunds within 60 days of full information being received. Further details will be given at thomascook.caa.co.uk.

Source: PA