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Thomas Cook 'to hit profit target' Thomas Cook boss 'deeply sorry' about Corfu deaths
(about 1 hour later)
Thomas Cook has trimmed its losses and expects to hit its profit target for 2015. Thomas Cook's chief executive has said that he is "deeply sorry" about the deaths of two children in Corfu.
The travel operator has received criticism after a court found that it "breached its duty of care" when two children died from carbon monoxide poisoning in Corfu. In 2006, Bobby and Christi Shepherd were poisoned by a faulty gas boiler during a Thomas Cook holiday.
Some customers have threatened to boycott Thomas Cook over the incident. Speaking to BBC business editor Kamal Ahmed, Peter Fankhauser said that he regretted saying that Thomas Cook had done "nothing wrong" when giving evidence at the Coroner's Court.
Thomas Cook has posted a pre-tax loss of £303m in the six months to the end of March, from a £366m loss in 2014. "My words were poorly chosen and I regret that," said Mr Fankhauser.
"We expect that these continuing improvements will lead to further growth in [2015], consistent with our expectations at the full year results last November," said chief executive Peter Fankhauser. "During the past nine years we failed to show the compassion that we should have shown to the family," he said.
Losses narrowed
His comments came as the travel company reported its results for the six months to the end of March.
Thomas Cook said it had narrowed its losses and expects to hit its profit target for 2015, in spite of threats to boycott the company over the Corfu incident.
The company reported a pre-tax loss of £303m in the six months to the end of March, compared with a £366m loss a year earlier.
"We expect that these continuing improvements will lead to further growth in [2015], consistent with our expectations at the full year results last November," said Mr Fankhauser in a statement.
Thomas Cook said that its UK business had performed well, while its German tour operating business "continues to experience tough trading conditions".Thomas Cook said that its UK business had performed well, while its German tour operating business "continues to experience tough trading conditions".
"Our summer 2015 holiday bookings across the group are encouraging, especially for our important fourth quarter, which is offsetting some weakness in the third quarter," said the company."Our summer 2015 holiday bookings across the group are encouraging, especially for our important fourth quarter, which is offsetting some weakness in the third quarter," said the company.
The company may resume paying dividends in 2016, it said.The company may resume paying dividends in 2016, it said.