Thomas Cook Airlines Ltd. was a British charter and scheduled airline headquartered in Manchester, England. It was founded in 2007 from the merger of Thomas Cook Group and MyTravel Group, and was part of the Thomas Cook Group Airlines. It served leisure destinations worldwide from its main bases at Manchester Airport and Gatwick Airport on a scheduled and charter basis. It also operated services from eight other airports around the United Kingdom. Thomas Cook Group and all UK entities including Thomas Cook Airlines entered compulsory liquidation on 23 September 2019.
History
Four mergers
The airline origins go back to 1 September 1999 when JMC Air Ltd. was created through the merger of Flying Colours Airlines and Caledonian Airways following the purchase of Thomas Cook & Son by the Carlson Leisure Group. It started operations on 27 March 2000, operating flights from 6 airports in the UK, offering seat-only bookings and bookings via Thomas Cook Tour Operations. In 2001, the airline became the first UK operator of the stretched Boeing 757-300. In April 2003, Thomas Cook AG rebranded its airlines under the Thomas Cook name.JMC Fades Away
In June 2007, following the merger between Thomas Cook AG and MyTravel Group to form Thomas Cook Group, on 30 March 2008, MyTravel Airways was merged into Thomas Cook Airlines.
Thomas Cook brand
In 2013, Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia and Condor merged into a single operating segment of a group named the Thomas Cook Group Airlines. Thomas Cook Airlines carried around 6.4 million passengers during 2015, a six per cent increase compared with 2014.
Collapse
The airline fell into liquidation on 23 September 2019. Airlines around the world took part in ferrying stranded passengers back to the UK, using their aircraft. The repatriation effort covered 165,000 passengers, the largest in UK history, and 65,000 more passengers than the collapse of Monarch Airlines in 2017. The last flight to depart was MT2643, an (Airbus A330-243) from Orlando to Manchester. The airline's AOC was revoked on 7 November 2019.
Corporate affairs
Overview
Thomas Cook Airlines was part of the airline division of the Thomas Cook Group, which consisted of three more sister airlines, all of which had a joint fleet management: Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia, German-based Condor and Thomas Cook Airlines Balearics. The airline held a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.
Profits
+Thomas Cook Airlines Ltd. - Corporate AffairsYearNet IncomeCEO2010£21.418 millionManny Fontenla-Novoa2011£32.03 millionManny Fontenla-NovoaHarriet Green2012£54.61 millionHarriet Green2013£77.218 million2014£24.878 millionHarriet GreenPeter Fankhauser2015£85.347 millionPeter Fankhauser2016£171.952 million2017 -(£31.109) million2018£103.061 million
Business figures
Year Total passengers Total flights Load factor Passenger change YoY2005*9,320,817 47,287 89.9% 2006*8,441,276 42,182 89.0% 9.4%2007*8,528,655 43,013 87.9% 1.0%20088,315,327 42,410 90.0% 2.5%20098,202,534 38,849 92.0% 1.4%20108,120,815 37,571 93.1% 1.0%20117,969,693 36,103 93.3% 1.9%20126,783,661 32,109 94.1% 14.9%20136,084,315 28,438 93.1% 10.3%20146,043,480 28,858 91.4% 0.7%20156,395,623 30,601 91.8% 5.8%20166,623,564 32,208 89.8% 3.6%20177,319,546 35,553 90.2% 10.5%20188,092,208 39,512 90.5% 10.6%* Data for 2005 to 2007 includes MyTravel AirwaysSource: United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority
Fleet
Final fleet At the time of closure, the Thomas Cook Airlines fleet consisted of the following aircraft types:
Aircraft typeIn serviceOrdersPassengersRemarksPYTotalAirbus A321-20027—–220220One in Cook's Club livery.Airbus A330-2004—492733223—492653141—52261313Total35—
Historical fleet As JMC Air, the airline had operated the following aircraft types:
Aircraft typeTotalIntroducedRetiredRemarksAirbus A320-20027200020111220122019Leased from SmartLynx Airlines and Avion Express120172018Transferred to Thomas Cook Airlines BalearicsBoeing 757-2002120002016Replaced by Airbus A321-200.Boeing 757-300520012019Transferred to Condor.Boeing 767-300ER320102017Withdrawn from use and converted to freighters for Atlas Air.McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30220002001
See also List of defunct airlines of the United Kingdom
References
Further reading
External links