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Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium

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Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium
IATA ICAO Call sign
HQ TCW THOMAS COOK
FoundedDecember 2001
Commenced operationsMarch 2002
Ceased operations27 October 2017[1]
Operating basesBrussels Airport
Fleet size5
Destinations36
Parent companyThomas Cook Group
HeadquartersZaventem, Belgium
Key peopleJean-Christophe Degen
Websitethomascookairlines.be

Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium was[1] a Belgian leisure airline owned by the Thomas Cook Group. It operated scheduled flights to destinations throughout Europe and Africa from its base at Brussels Airport. The airline operated from 2002 until 2017.

History

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The airline was established on 12 December 2001 by the Thomas Cook Group to serve the Belgian holiday market, and started operations on 13 March 2002. Until January 2004, flight tickets could only be purchased via travel agencies as part of package tours; since then individual seat reservations are also possible. The airline had several sister companies, Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia and Condor, all of which have a joint fleet management.

In March 2017, parent company Thomas Cook announced its intention to sell its Belgian operations to Lufthansa. Consequently, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium was shut down by late October 2017 with two aircraft and all traffic rights being handed to Brussels Airlines. Its three remaining aircraft were to be relocated to Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium's sister companies. This would have led to the layoff of 40 non-flying staff members, but Dutch group SHS Aviation announced it would take over the flight licences, two of the three remaining aircraft,[1] and the remaining 40 employees, and integrate them into a new airline, confusingly called "VLM Airlines" though no longer connected to the Antwerp VLM Airlines (since defunct), with the remaining single Airbus A320-200 transferred elsewhere within the Thomas Cook Group.[2][3][4] This company has since been acquired from SHS Aviation by Dutch investors FS Aviation Management B.V.

The last flight of Thomas Cook Belgium was HQ1508 from Tenerife South Airport to Brussels Airport on 27 October 2017.[1]

Destinations

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At the time of the closure, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium was flying to 36 destinations in Cape Verde, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and several European countries.[5][6]

Fleet

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A Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium Airbus A320-200

The final Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[7]

Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium fleet
Aircraft Historic Orders Passengers Notes
Y+ Y Total
Airbus A320-200 5 — – 180 180 2 transferred to Brussels Airlines[3]
2 transferred to re-formed VLM Airlines[1]
1 transferred to Thomas Cook Airlines
Total 5 —

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium ceases all operations". CH-Aviation. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  2. ^ aero.de – "Thomas Cook hands Belgian airline business to Lufthansa" (German) 30 March 2017
  3. ^ a b "Brussels Airlines to absorb Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium".
  4. ^ "VLM Airlines neemt deel werknemers en vlieglicentie Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium over " (Dutch) 31 May 2017 retrieved 26 Jun 2017
  5. ^ "Timetable Summer 2016" (PDF). Thomas Cook Airlines. 9 June 2016. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Timetable Winter 2016/2017" (PDF). Thomas Cook Airlines. 9 June 2016. p. 3. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Belgian Aircraft Register". Belgian Government – Official information and services. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
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