Ten travel companies have collapsed since late 2025, leaving holidaymakers seeking refunds and compensation after flights, package holidays and coach trips were cancelled at short notice.
The closures have hit airlines, cruise specialists, travel agencies and coach operators, with hundreds of workers also losing their jobs as businesses across the sector struggled to stay afloat.
Customers have been left facing uncertainty after bookings were cancelled, while many are now navigating claims processes to recover money already paid for future trips.
The failures span both small family‑run firms and larger international operators, including an Icelandic airline that employed around 400 people before shutting down.
Oxfordshire has been among the areas most affected.
Oxfordshire Travel Limited, a coach and passenger transport company based in Yarnton near Kidlington, entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation on October 30, 2025, after directors concluded it could no longer continue operating or meet its financial obligations.
The business had been trading since 2015.
Bicester‑based Set Sail Cruises Ltd survived for less than two years before being formally dissolved on March 17, 2026, resulting in all planned sailings being cancelled.
Ten travel companies collapse since 2025 as holidaymakers scramble for refunds
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The company did not file accounts before being struck off.
The Padel Travel Club Limited, which organised padel‑focused holidays from Henley, also ceased trading, reportedly closing with around £41,000 in short‑term liabilities and insufficient assets to repay creditors.
London‑based Regen Central Ltd, which sold flight and hotel packages across Europe and Southeast Asia, had its ATOL licence revoked on 13 January 2026 before entering liquidation, cancelling all customer bookings.
The Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the company was no longer permitted to offer protected package holidays.
In Glasgow, Simply Florida Travel Ltd, specialising in trips to North America including Disneyland and New York, applied to be struck off in late 2025 and was dissolved in early January 2026, leaving customers seeking refunds for cancelled holidays
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Coach tour operator Gold Crest Holidays also entered liquidation in early 2026, cancelling all UK and overseas coach holidays and making staff redundant.
The international scale of the sector’s difficulties was underlined by the collapse of Icelandic budget carrier PLAY Airlines, which halted all operations in late September 2025.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority confirmed no further PLAY flights would depart, and around 400 employees lost their jobs.
The CAA has identified several other travel firms that have either lost ATOL protection or stopped trading since 2025, including Asiara UK Ltd, Jetline Travel Ltd, Great Little Escapes LLP and New Era Travel.
Customers who booked through ATOL‑protected companies may be eligible for refunds or assistance, while those affected by failures outside the scheme may need to pursue alternative routes to recover their money.
The series of collapses highlights the pressures facing parts of the travel industry as operators contend with rising costs, shifting consumer demand and continued financial strain.