This report was updated on Monday to add that Cox & Kings, The Americas in unaffected by the financial problems of Cox & Kings Ltd. of India.
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Cox & Kings Ltd. of India, one of the world's oldest
travel companies, has fallen behind on $100 million in debt payments, forcing
the closure of two businesses in the U.K. and a suspension of its ability to
sell airline tickets on credit.
Officials with their U.S. affiliate, Cox & Kings, The
Americas, however, emphasize the company is fully independent in its business
activities and is operating business as
usual.
"We want to reassure all stakeholders in the United
States that there is no disruption in our U.S. operations whatsoever," Cox
& Kings, The Americas said in a statement issued Monday. "Neither have there been any cancellations nor
interruptions, either to current business or that booked for future travel.
These have been reconfirmed with our vendor network, ensuring continued
seamless arrangements, including guests traveling to India from the U.S."
Cox & Kings Ltd. informed the National Stock Exchange of
India last week that it would miss its payment on a $100 million commercial
note for the fourth time in three weeks.
Also last week, two British travel companies, LateRooms and
SuperBreak, ceased operations after their parent, Malvern Group, declared
insolvency, citing a loss of funding from Cox & Kings, which owns a 49%
stake in the company.
India-based Cox & Kings did not immediately respond to a
request for comment. But after IATA suspended its ability to sell airline
tickets on a credit basis last month, it said in a press release that the "working
capital situation at Cox & Kings stretched in the last few months and was
further impacted due to its inability to replace the short-term loans with
long-term loans and regular working capital line."
In the July 30 filing notifying the stock exchange that it
would miss a fourth payment on the $100 million note, the company said it was "working
closely with its lenders to optimize its asset base globally and bring the
situation back to normal as soon as possible."
Meantime, according to British and Indian media reports,
officials from KPMG were appointed as administrators of LateRooms and
SuperBreak to seek suitors and to work with the Association of British Travel
Agents and the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority to minimize disruptions to
travelers who had bookings though the companies.
According to British newspaper The Sun, about 20,000
bookings involving 53,000 people were thought to be affected.
An ABTA spokesperson told The Sun that the vast majority of
bookings through SuperBreak would be covered "through one of a number of
different types of financial protection," including ABTA backing and
credit card protections. LateRooms was not a member, ABTA said.
Cox & Kings Ltd. was established in 1758 and now has
operations in 23 countries with $2.5 billion in annual transaction value,
according to its website.
Based in Los Angeles, Cox & Kings, The Americas is a
direct subsidiary of Cox & Kings Travel Ltd. UK, which itself operates
independently from Cox & Kings Ltd. (India). Both are operating as normal,
the statement said.
The company also emphasized that "as an active member
of USTOA, significant customer protection is required and carried. The business
also holds supplemental insurance policies, such as Errors & Omissions,
which are well above industry standards, and does so to offer additional peace
of mind to our clients. "
According to the Economic Times of India, several companies
are pursuing attempts to acquire the cash-strapped Cox &. Kings Ltd.