Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium in 2015

[sn26567]

The first A320 of Thomas Cook Airlines UK to be painted in new livery has just emerged from the East Midlands Airport paint shop. Difficult to distinguish it from its Belgian counterpart, except with the registration!

It appears that the registration of this bird is D-AICJ, thus a Condor aircraft (thanks Raphaël Cockx!); and therefore, not sure whether it will go to Thomas Cook UK, Thomas Cook Belgium or back to Condor.

[EBAW_flyer]

I heard D-AICI and D-AICJ were going to Belgium, so this would indeed be Belgian colors. Surely not Condor as they still have their own titles and UK will only receive A321's.

[crew1990]

Regarding airfleet, Thomas Cook is waiting for a A330 from Avianca

[sn26567]

According to the Sunday Times newspaper today, tour operator Thomas Cook Group is seeking to sell its airline business as part of cost-saving plan.

The world's oldest travel group has sounded out a number of potential buyers over the last few months including rival carriers and private equity investors but no deal has yet been reached and no talks are currently under way, the newspaper said.

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/bus ... 522146.ece

[Bralo20]

Regarding airfleet, Thomas Cook is waiting for a A330 from Avianca

That plane is not for TCW but one for TCX, it's recorded wrong in airfleets, planespotters.net has the correct information.

[EBAW_flyer]

Indeed, don't expect an A330 for Thomas Cook Belgium soon. An A321 maybe, that would be the largest aircraft suitable for TCW.

[SN056M]

I read about a a330 lease from thomas cook scandinavia for the summer season,espacially for the mediteranean flights.Or isn't that one coming anymore?

[airazurxtror]

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/bus ... 522146.ece

HOLIDAY GIANT Thomas Cook is seeking to offload its airline as part of a turnaround plan following the group’s near collapse in 2011.

The 173-year-old tour operator has sounded out a number of potential buyers in recent months, including rival carriers and private equity investors. So far, none has been persuaded to do a deal.

http://www.air-journal.fr/2015-02-23-th ... 37359.html

Le groupe Thomas Cook serait à la recherche d’un repreneur pour ses compagnies aériennes Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomas Cook Belgium, Condor et Thomas Cook Scandinavia. Sans succès pour l’instant.

[crew1990]

Brussels Airlines could be a good one for TCW, they already operate so much flight for them... They could rebrand it and it would become the charter airlines of Brussels airlines to operate all the thomas cook, club med, sun web, tomorowland flights etc... a kind of new sobelair

In the mean time if Jetairfly would buy it, it would be a great opportunity for them to have a casi monopole about the holiday flights

[Inquirer]

It's not Thomas Cook Belgium which is for sale, it's the whole cluster of airlines which Thomas Cook is set to look to offload.

I can understand why they want to do it: it's not really a core activity of a package holiday company to operate airlines, they can just as well source their flights from others and take the benefit from free competition through requests for best offers on the market.

The problem they probably face with off loading their airlines may be that it's in essence a single customer business they try to sell and as such it may be seen as a potentially high risk investment by equity firms. That downside risk will definitely be refected in the price offered by those potential investors, which may drive it down to below the current market value, hence the failure to come to any agreement so far.

Established airlines will likely be very interested in taking over flights from Thomas Cook, but they will be far less interested in taking over the Thomas Cook airlines operations that go with it as they don't really need all their overhead.

[sdbelgium]

I read about a a330 lease from thomas cook scandinavia for the summer season,espacially for the mediteranean flights.Or isn't that one coming anymore?

Once a week on Sundays for RHO.

[SN056M]

So anyway..great ! I'll fly to RHO and back on a sunday

[sn26567]

Thomas Cook refutes claims it will sell its airline business

The Thomas Cook Group has played down a report in the Sunday Times claiming it is considering selling off its quartet of carriers. In a statement to ch-aviation, the leisure group said that while it is pleased with the development and integration of its carriers, which include Thomas Cook Airlines UK, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia and Condor, it would consider partnering other firms or airlines.

"We are very pleased with the development of our airlines and the integration our four airlines have achieved so far. Our Group Airlines have contributed more than GBP100 million of synergies to our overall cost savings and they are working closer together than ever," Thomas Cook Group said in a statement. "We have also invested in the refurbishment of the cabins of our long-haul fleet and we have added long-haul aircraft to our Condor fleet in Germany and the UK. This shows that we see our airlines as an important part of our business and a support of our profitable growth strategy."

The Sunday Times claimed former CEO Harriet Green had first proposed the divestiture with the Group approaching a number of potential buyers including rival carriers as well as private equity investors. A possible tie-up with rival Monarch Airlines has also been studied though to date none of the parties has so far shown any commitment.

Full story in ch-aviation: http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/ ... e-sell-off

[Inquirer]

They may have come to the conclusion that indeed, it's not as easy as they thought to sell off a one-customer business and may need to remain durably involved in the airlines in order to offer some sort of guarantee to whatever future (co)owner they aren't going to subsequently source their charter flights from elsewhere, after the spin off.

[CTBke]

maybe LH considers to include Thomas cook airlines belgium into Brussels Airlines as one company but with two different identities

[Kapitein]

"New" plane is coming for HQ
A320 OO-TCT coming tomorrow from SXF

[sn26567]

"New" plane is coming for HQ
A320 OO-TCT coming tomorrow from SXF

Picture on top of this page

[Wim@TCAB]

"New" plane is coming for HQ
A320 OO-TCT coming tomorrow from SXF

OO-TCT is already in service now for 2 days. Today's flight: HQ3508/3509 to/from TFS. Aircraft is ex-Condor D-AICJ (MSN1402).

OO-TCW is being prepared to join soon. That one is ex-Thomas Cook Scandinavia (OY-VKS - MSN1954).

OO-TCQ was ferried on 2/3/2015 to DUB.

[scblobos]

@ SN056M

HQ 7996/7 RHO D7 will indeed operate on A333 only Jul-Aug

Most of TCAB HQ commercial functions will be replaced from Belgium to FRA or MAN as part of international re-structuring program

HQ will only keep a few positions in Belgium on sales, marketing and customer service.

[sdbelgium]

OY-VKS (cn 1954) was ferried 18/3 DUB-SNN for paint > will become OO-TCW
D-AICN (cn 1968) was ferried 17/3 SEN-SXF for paint > will become OO-TCV

Both expected to join the TCAB fleet in the next two weeks.