Tui blamed UK airports, particularly Manchester, for plunging it into the red in April, May and June.

Tui Group chief executive Sebastian Ebel said: “Yes, we are going for compensation. It can be small, it can be big, it is something we will fight very much for.

“It is very much on our agenda to get something in the next coming months and it should be significant.”

Tui estimates the total cost of airport disruption at €75 million.

Ebel said UK infrastructure “came more under pressure than in other areas”, but said that after Manchester, Amsterdam had proved the most problematic for Tui.

“The UK labour shortage was probably more than what we have seen at other airports,” he said.

“In the last couple of days it has normalised, but the whole system is very fragile. There will be significant costs associated with it.”

Tui said 96% of its passengers departed on time or with delays of less than three hours in May and June, with 200 cancellations in this period blamed mainly on Manchester airport.