Aircraft engineer Sam Hughes had been working for Thomas Cook but has now been taken on by Apple Aviation. 1 The average fleet age is based on our own calculations and may differ from … Planes of the airline are immediately being impounded once they arrive back in the UK. "As we were coming into Manchester you could see all the other Thomas Cook planes sat in darkness. "The people suffering will be the aircraft owners," he says. Several more are expected to arrive in the coming days and weeks. Mr Winfield, who said the planes could be grounded at Newquay for up to a year, said the panes would be re-liveried by another company before going to its new operators. When the plane door opens to the right however, it reveals an embarrassing message. Video, France closes borders to most non-EU travel, Democrat to move 'to get away from Taylor Greene', Woman 'kept mother's body in freezer for 10 years', Officer killed in Capitol riot to lie in honour, Village that saved Jews from Nazis inherits fortune, Argentina imposes 'rich tax' to fund Covid relief, 150,000 British passengers were stranded abroad, airports and airfields in England, Ireland, France and Croatia. Last week, after nearly 200 years of ferrying countless numbers of passengers across the globe, travel giant Thomas Group folded. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. When deciding where to send them, the anonymous leasing insider says that the priority is to move the plane only once. Thomas Cook has emblazoned on their planes for new package holidays: 'I Love Cook's Club'. Its debt pile had already reached £1.1bn, and it stayed afloat only after an emergency additional cash injection - … Traveling while Asian during the pandemic, Travelers react to UK restriction on travel from Spain, Richard Quest's emotional return to flying, Video shows contrast in how US and Canada handle pandemic, Fancy a holiday? And Apple's Newquay hangar should receive some Thomas Cook aircraft next, according to Ryan Winfield, sales and marketing director. Several Thomas Cook planes are set to be stored at Newquay Airport until they are re-leased to other airlines. SeatGuru was created to help travelers choose the best seats and in-flight amenities. "Well looked after planes eventually filter their way back into the market," says Payne. Don't get too excited, though -- this doesn't necessarily mean cheaper fares. Dozens … Among these were three A320 family aircraft, and eight A321s. Read about our approach to external linking. "There are often claims based on fees for slots due to the airport, and various entities -- including the airports -- will look to repossess aircraft in lieu of payments," one leasing industry insider, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told CNN. Aircraft, like cars, lose value quite quickly, says Payne. But as of September 23, the 34 planes dressed in Thomas Cook livery were grounded at UK airports because of the travel company's abrupt demise. While the bidding begins, the aircraft will need to be moved into storage -- preferably to a cheaper facility. Other tour operators including Tui, easyJet and Jet2 will do well from Thomas Cook's demise, he says. In Newquay, Apple Aviation is currently maintaining, storing and preparing four Airbus A330 and A321s ahead of their reassignment. ", Paul Welch, founder and CEO of private jet broker, Although in this case, the owners may have a fight to get their hands on the aircraft. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has mobilised more than 40 aircraft from airlines including British Airways and easyJet to bring 150,000 Thomas Cook customers home to … But while passengers are asking why the empty Thomas Cook planes can't be used to bring them home, the simple answer is that the majority of them do not belong to the airline. So unless that aircraft was owned by Thomas Cook, they won't get to keep it.". ", There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. Thomas Cook Airlines (1 aircraft) Thomas Cook Airlines Balearics (1 aircraft) Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia; Thomas Cook Aviation; Fleet Size: 2 Aircraft : Average Fleet Age 1: 20.8 Years: Official Site: thomascookgroup.com According to its website, Thomas Cook operated a fleet of 105 aircraft in total for summer 2019. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all, Tearful last Thomas Cook flight as travelers scramble to get home, What travelers affected by the Thomas Cook collapse need to know. Following the collapse of British travel giant Thomas Cook Group, the UK has lost a significant player in the aviation market in its subsidiaries known as Thomas Cook Airlines UK, Thomas Cook Scandinavia and Thomas Cook Spain. When Thomas Cook went into liquidation last month its fleet of planes was stranded and not allowed to fly. Not least because Thomas Cook had ongoing "wet lease" contracts -- whereby the airplane's crew, maintenance and insurance are included in the package with leasing airlines -- including Lithuania-based Avion Express and Latvian SmartLynx, whose own fleets will now be up for grabs. All Thomas Cook customers wherever they are around the world, will be brought back to the UK on special free flights or booked onto another scheduled airline at no extra cost. It is likely they will be taken on by new airlines. Thomas Cook aircrafts are being repossessed when they land back in the UK (Image: MEN). Ryan Winfield, of Apple Aviation, said flight operations companies were sent out to recover the stranded aircraft. 2013: Thomas Cook announces that Thomas Cook Airlines in the UK, Belgium and Scandinavia, together with Condor in Germany, will be merged into a single operating division within the Thomas Cook Group. Thomas Cook Airlines > Planes & Seat Maps; Thomas Cook Airlines Planes and Seat Maps. These were wet leased from Avion Express and S… Mr Woolridge added: "They are designed to take people away on their holidays but unfortunately with what has happened to Thomas Cook we are just going to look after them until a new company wants to take them and continue that service to those people. Some people took to social media to express their surprise at seeing Thomas Cook planes in Cornish skies. More than 20,000 jobs are at risk, including 9,000 in … The exiles: Hong Kong at a crossroads. The leasing insider has a rosier vision for the Thomas Cook fleet. In recent weeks, the Thomas Cook fleet have been flown under special licences to airports and airfields in England, Ireland, France and Croatia until their future is determined. The Civil Aviation Authority has now impounded every airplane owned by the company. "Many will be leased from head lessors, who own the aircraft, while Thomas Cook effectively pays a mortgage on them," explains Mark Payne, leasing director at aircraft charter specialists, "When they stop making payments, the aircraft are repossessed. Disclaimer. The fourth airline, Frankfurt-based Condor, in which Thomas Cook owns just less than 50%, says it will keep flying. Check-in; Baggage; Infants; Minors; Pets; Fleet Information and Seat Maps. According to Planespotters, Thomas Cook, as of today, has a fleet of 34 aircraft. Joanna Bailey, editor of Simple Flying website, said: "As soon as they announce insolvency the pilots don't work anymore, the crew don't work any more and the planes aren't allowed to be flown anymore because very few of them actually belong to Thomas Cook.". And Bristol Airport confirmed it has two grounded planes onsite. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. In 2003, the company began operating its own airline, Thomas Cook Airlines, a United Kingdom-based operation with 34 planes in the fleet traveling to … The timing was believed to have been a strategic decision by Thomas Cook and meant the planes would be on their way back to the UK when the announcement was made. Some photos for this airline. "It won't affect things at the moment, because the European market is incredibly seasonal and we're coming out of the summer season. Now, we are able to explain what will happen to the airline's planes after they are … Thomas Cook has entered compulsory liquidation and all of its flights have been cancelled. EU backtracks on vaccine export controls for NI1, France closes borders to most non-EU travel2, WHO criticises EU over vaccine export controls3, Democrat to move 'to get away from Taylor Greene'4, Woman 'kept mother's body in freezer for 10 years'5, Officer killed in Capitol riot to lie in honour6, The vaccines that work - and the others to come7, Tourists face ban from Amsterdam's cannabis cafes8, Village that saved Jews from Nazis inherits fortune9, Argentina imposes 'rich tax' to fund Covid relief10. "There are a lot of my colleagues that are still out of work.". To put this in perspective, at the peak of the summer, the airline was operating around 100 aircraft on wet lease, dry leaseand owned basis. "They drop down the tiers -- so they might start with British Airways, then fly for Thomas Cook for a bit, then filter down the system.". He said the planes in Newquay would likely need painting but some liveries were made up of stickers. Some of those planes went on to be rebranded for Thomas Cook. When Monarch Airlines went bust in October 2017, the Government spent £60 million hiring planes to get passengers home. "There will be a lot of aircraft available, and carriers that flew predominantly for Thomas Cook will need to find another home for their planes next summer. When Monarch Airlines collapsed in October 2017, it had 35 aircraft to its name. ", Paul Welch agrees: "This won't lead to over-supply of aircraft -- the demand today and next year is greater than the supply.". The company went bust last month, and 34 planes dressed in … The status 'Stored / Scrapped' status corresponds to planes which no longer fly for the operator (e.g. And he predicts airlines including Norwegian will snap up the "valuable" slots at London Gatwick and Manchester. "They're mainly Airbus narrowbodies and there's a demand for aircraft right now, so larger lessors shouldn't have difficulty repossessing the aircraft," they say. Five Monarch planes, for example, were stored for nine months at. The planes have been "stored" in aviation terminology. We park it until they find a new lessee. A decision on the Newquay planes' future could take weeks or even months but until then the engineers will continue to maintain what they say feel like "ghost planes". At the time of writing this article (10 PM UTC), a Malaysian Airlines Airbus A380 which can seat up to 494 passengers is flying on a one-way flight from Kuala Lumpur to Manchester, England. Read about our approach to external linking. The Boeing 737 MAX -- taken out of service globally because of safety concerns -- is also expected to re-enter the market towards the end of this 2019, meaning that the extra planes airlines have rostered will also be going spare. "But ultimately whoever owns it has the right to own it. When it ceased trading, the company had 34 planes in its fleet, 31 of which were leased, which is common practice for many airlines. "At Newquay they are being put in to storage and maintained in an airworthy condition until such time the aircraft owner makes a decision on the plans for them, likely moving to new operators," he said. Display all Thomas Cook … What happens to an airline's planes when it goes out of business depends on whether or not it owns them. Find your aircraft by flight number or route. "A Thomas Cook plane was like a second home for me. Thomas Cook: 'Planes are already being impounded' - BBC News All were reclaimed by the owners and were re-leased to the likes of easyJet, Aegean Air -- and Thomas Cook, which took four. '"There'll likely be a short period before you find an operator wanting to use them, and then it'll take time to repaint and update the cabin before they go back into service. It was founded in 2007 from the merger of Thomas Cook Group and MyTravel Group, and was part of the Thomas Cook Group Airlines. Worst case scenario, there's always scrapping. © 2021 BBC. But as of September 23, the 34 planes dressed in Thomas Cook livery were grounded at UK airports because of the travel company's abrupt demise. Egypt is reopening with precautions, Fancy a peek from the top of Eiffel Tower? But there will potentially be a lot of unemployed aircraft come Christmas, and next April there may well be a surplus, with aircraft sitting around, which this year was unheard of," says Payne. Mark Payne says that the demise of Thomas Cook will have a knock-on effect for the aviation market in 2020. To mark our ongoing relationship with Manchester Pride we adorned one of our A321s with a special rainbow edition of our sunny heart logo. "Ferrying it is extremely expensive, so you try to reposition them to a technical facility that doesn't just store it, but will be able to outfit it for a new operator.". returned to the lessor / destroyed / stored). Thomas Cook collapse: What happened to its planes? The UK government has launched its largest ever peace time repatriation effort to bring home British citizens stranded by the Thomas Cook collapse, with the country's Civil Aviation Authority securing a fleet of aircraft, some from as far away as Malaysia, for the operation. Last night, a. Glasgow Airport confirmed to CNN that the four Thomas Cook planes which landed on its property yesterday have been "detained on behalf of the airport." The break-up of Thomas Cook’s airline continued yesterday when the leasing company that owns two of its newer aircraft confirmed that it had taken back possession of them.Avation, which is based in Mr Woolridge said particular maintenance checks had to be done every seven, 15 and 30 days and "full engine runs" were carried out every 14 days to make sure the engines were preserved properly. That means they're being held -- normally at the airport at which they last landed -- until their owners can move them to a different spot. That number has dropped by a few since yesterday, as a number of aircraft have been returned to lessors. What happens to your body in extreme heat? And Apple’s Newquay hangar should receive some Thomas Cook aircraft next, according to Ryan Winfield, sales and marketing director. It could be seven or eight months." Sometimes they're scrapped -- there's a whole industry in spares and parts where the parts are worth more than the aircraft itself. The fourth airline, Frankfurt-based Condor, in which Thomas Cook owns just less than 50%, says it will keep flying. "There's a depreciation process, and the maintenance requirements become more intense the older they get. On any other day, they'd be crossing continents and pulling up at gates in all corners of the world. Thomas Cook only narrowly survived a near-death experience in 2011. Hangar manager for the company, Richard Woolridge, said storing a plane was not the same as parking a car in a garage. We park it until they find a new lessee. Overview; Planes & Seat Maps. “The leasing company takes the plane back for the owner, and makes sure it is maintained and stored. VideoThe exiles: Hong Kong at a crossroads, Gasping for air: Latin America's oxygen crisis, The truth behind a 'super herb' taking the US by storm, The Soviet genius the world never got to see, The brain op described as ‘easier than curing a toothache’, Striking news pictures from around the world. "Airlines might be able to get a slightly better deal and in theory greater availability means potentially cheaper prices, but it's too early to say what the effect on the consumer would be.". About 150,000 British passengers were stranded abroad when Thomas Cook announced its liquidation overnight. "They're painted up, checks are done, and they come back -- usually to a smaller airline. Stranded Thomas Cook customers are facing repatriation flight chaos after planes sent to rescue them from a Greek island were too small.. There will be more capacity in the market, and other airlines might feel the pinch because they might not be able to place theirs. "I am one of the ones that has been quite fortunate to find work pretty much straight away," he said. The fees are the responsibility of the airline. Thomas Cook Airlines Limited was a British charter and scheduled airline headquartered in Manchester, England. - BBC News ", Thomas Cook collapses as rescue talks fail, Thomas Cook collapse: Your rights explained, Big swells and spring tides to hit Cornish coast along with 24-hour rain warning, "Biosecurity is huge": Poultry farm reacts to confirmed cases of bird flu in Cornwall, Brewery launches virtual beer festival in memory of beloved former colleague, Almost 80 businesses in ten days told to shut after Covid checks, Information about BBC links to other news sites, EU backtracks on vaccine export controls for NI. Aircraft leasing companies are launching moves to recover dozens of Airbus passenger planes after the collapse of British travel group Thomas Cook , market sources said. Just seen a Thomas Cook plane arrive at Newquay - doubly weird because they didn't fly there at all when they were still in business 🤔 pic.twitter.com/MoFaAlErUM. Thomas Cook planes are heading back to their UK bases and are being grounded As many as 9,000 British employees among 21,000 staff around the world stand to lose their jobs It served leisure destinations worldwide from its main bases at Manchester Airport and Gatwick Airport on a scheduled and charter basis. But if it has leased them, they return to the owner via the head lessor. The reversal came after widespread condemnation of the EU's plan to override the Brexit deal. "You don't just throw a tarpaulin over and forget about it - you have to keep the aircraft airworthy," he said. It's a bit like someone defaulting on a mortgage -- the house is repossessed and they need to find someone else to live in it as soon as possible. First pictures appeared on social media just before 1 am time, which show a detention letter on one of Thomas Cook’s Airbus A321s at Manchester Airport. While many leisure airlines tend to operate a fleet with a single aircraft type, the overall Thomas Cook Group operated a mixed fleet of 85 Airbus aircraft and 31 Boeing jets for a total of 116 aircraft based across Europe. All but three of Thomas Cook's current 34-strong fleet are privately owned and leased out to the airline. Several of them are now with specialist companies, including in Newquay, Cornwall, while their future is decided. They go back to the owners and the head lessors, who then need to find someone else to take them on. If it does, they become assets that are due to the airline's creditors. Apple also stored planes from Primera Air, which went bust in October 2018, for eight months. But as of September 23, the 34 planes dressed in Thomas Cook livery were grounded at UK airports because of the travel company’s abrupt demise. It also operated services from eight other bases around the United Kingdom. WHO criticises EU over vaccine export controls, The vaccines that work - and the others to come, 'We have to protest' - anti-Putin anger spreads, Tourists face ban from Amsterdam's cannabis cafes, The exiles: Hong Kong at a crossroads. Thomas Cook Group plc and all UK entities includ "The leasing company takes the plane back for the owner, and makes sure it is maintained and stored. You'll need to earn it, Drones used on beach to ensure social distancing, Dr. Gupta demonstrates how to stay safe on a road trip, Cherry blossoms at coronavirus ground zero, Zookeeper's dance routine delights online viewers, The tour operator and airline will have many creditors, Primera Air, which collapsed in 2018, saw planes stored at Newquay Cornwall Airport. Are a lot of where are thomas cook planes colleagues that are due to the owner via head! Grounded planes onsite, Thomas Cook collapse: What happened to its name would... 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