First, Thomas Cook was not an airline. They flew as charters. Second the UK made mention of chartering planes to rescue the stranded travelers.
It can be difficult for the average person to distinguish between an airline and a charter service. Your money and safety are at higher risk when you travel with a charter service. This is not the first time I have seen a vacation packager go broke and leave people stranded. When I say higher risk, I am not saying it’s risky to fly a charter service nor am I saying airlines don’t go broke and strand people. I’m am saying the rules and options are different.