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Capping a painful year, 178-year-old British tour operator Thomas Cook collapsed Sunday night, stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers. The UK Civil Aviation Authority tweeted Sunday that all Thomas Cook bookings have been canceled.

What happens when the world’s oldest travel company closes its doors? It leaves a lot of people very far from home and no clear way to get back. Thomas Cook collapsed overnight after 178 years of operation thanks to debt commitments that could not be met, leaving more than 150,000 people scattered across the globe with no way home and no paid accommodations.The legendary firm’s CEO issued an apology, but that alone won’t do much: Thomas Cook CEO Peter Fankhauser apologizes after the world's oldest travel company went into liquidation, leaving thousands of passengers stranded around the world. More:...

Thomas Cook (TCG.L), the world’s oldest travel firm, collapsed on Monday, stranding hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers around the globe and sparking the largest peacetime repatriation effort in British history. Chief Executive Peter Fankhauser said it was a matter of profound regret that the company had gone out of business after it failed to secure a rescue package from its lenders. The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said Thomas Cook had now ceased trading and the regulator and government would work together to bring the more than 150,000 British customers home over the next two weeks.

Thomas Cook, a British travel company that’s been around for more than 100 years, met with shareholders on Sunday in the company’s fight to avoid bankruptcy. Thomas Cook confirmed Friday that it is seeking £200 million in new capital. The company’s largest shareholder is Chinese investment company Fosun. […] A collapse could leave around 150,000 travelers from Britain stranded, along with tens of thousands of travelers from other countries. The British government may have to lease planes to get its citizens home. …