The emotional moments from one of the last flights of Thomas Cook were captured on camera by a passenger.
The footage shows a cabin crew member crying with emotions as the company is just about to collapse.
48-year-old Andrew Whitmore filmed the moment as cabin crew member Alex gave a tearful speech on the flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Manchester.
Andrew explained how the whole atmosphere of the flight was emotional as the passengers tried to buck up the crew members who had just been told they’ll go home jobless.
Struggling to stop his tears and read the goodbye speech to the passengers, Alex said: “Greetings [ladies and] gents, we would just like to apologize for the delay in getting you on the aircraft.
“As some of you may be aware, you may have switched your phones on this morning.”
He then took a long pause, trying to regain composure while the passengers shouted ‘come on’ and clapped to make him feel better.
Continuing with his speech, Alex said: “I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank all the crew on board for operating in such a professional manner all the way back to the UK and getting you all back here safe and sound.
“We do have many friends and colleagues throughout the business today and I’m sure you’ll appreciate we’d just like to say thank you for those customers who have flown with us for many years, those customers who have flown with us for the first time, we do hope you enjoyed your flight with Thomas Cook and you’ll be the last people to be on this aircraft.
“Please have a safe journey onwards home.”
Andrew, from Greater Manchester, was on a holiday with his partner for the last two weeks. He said he deeply felt for the crew as they served their final flights.
He said: “It’s very emotional. It was quite moving. I really, really felt for them.
“There’s a lot of people who have lost their jobs and their livelihoods today. We’d been in Cancun for two weeks and fortunately the trip wasn’t cut short.
“We flew on time. Last night we weren’t sure what was happening so there was uncertainty.
“We knew if we got on the plane before 12 o’clock, we would fly. You could sense the atmosphere with the staff – the feeling of uncertainty.”
Thomas Cook has announced that all attempts to negotiate or get a bailout package have failed and the company has to now undergo compulsory liquidation.
Chief Executive of Thomas Cook, Dr. Peter Fankhauser, said the collapse of the company was a matter of ‘profound regret.’
Replaced!