Thomas Cook

[TheLocalYokel]

Live updates as Thomas Cook passengers arrive back in Bristol

Bristol Live understands the first repatriation flights were due to land at 2.40pm, but have been delayed

www.bristolpost.co.uk

Bristol Post doing a blow-by-blow account of the situation at BRS as 'repatriation flights' land there.

 

[Ice-tongs]

Such a sad day, have read that Thomas Cook Cabin Crew are operating on the smartlynx aircraft (voluntary) to bring holiday makers home. I take my hat off to them, absolutely amazing when they’ve just lost their jobs.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Heaed that Titan has chartered some Smart lynx aircraft to bring pax back to the UK. If they use aircraft that TC were using I hope they take the TC logos off the aircraft. People with aviation knowledge will know they were chartered, but to the layman it is not going to look good with a TC aircraft arriving at a over seas airport.That will not look good and could even involve riots,and the biggest group of pax will be flight only.

Can't see why that would be a big deal. The Smartlynx/Avion aircraft being used appear to be bringing back the people that would've been on that aircraft anyway, just under ZT flight numbers. One would think everyone on that flight would be grateful they are being brought home with minimal disruption. Why would there be a riot from people actually making it home?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

We also know staff in those shops who have been subjected to some abhorrent abuse in those shops over the last weekend.

Unforgivable. Customers have a right to be annoyed, but to take it out on staff who were in no way responsible for getting Thomas Cook into the state in which it found itself and who will suffer far more than any customer in the long run is disgraceful. I have no sympathy with anyone who lost their holiday if they adopted that attitude.

 

[Ice-tongs]

Unforgivable. Customers have a right to be annoyed, but to take it out on staff who were in no way responsible for getting Thomas Cook into the state in which it found itself and who will suffer far more than any customer in the long run is disgraceful. I have no sympathy with anyone who lost their holiday if they adopted that attitude.

I agree, people are becoming so selfish today, I heard a woman on the radio saying how disgusted she was and it was unacceptable that her new flight home was to Manchester and then continued by bus to Glasgow. No thought for all those who have lost their jobs or being thankful for a rescue flight at no extra charge.

 

[rollo]

I also agree most normal people would accept the situation and be thankful that they can complete their holiday and be safely returned home even if the journey to your departure point is a bit longer, however I'm sure the media search out these fruitcakesat at the airport or wherever as it gives them a storyline today's journalism is not great to say the least, they just seem to trawl social media.

We ourselves have two holidays booked via aThomas Cook travel agents for fly cruises and are working through it which we will get sorted and our lives will go on meanwhile I've heard today a Thomas Cook employee saying on the radio the has just signed up for mortgage which will now be lost so it's all relative isn't it?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Airport press release re Thomas Cook.

UK Civil Aviation Authority launches flying programme to bring home Thomas Cook customers

Thomas Cook has ceased trading so all Thomas Cook flights are now cancelled.

www.bristolairport.co.uk

UK Civil Aviation Authority launches flying programme to bring home Thomas Cook customers
Created: 23rd Sep 2019

Thomas Cook has ceased trading so all Thomas Cook flights are now cancelled.


Customers in the UK yet to travel must not go to the airport

• UK Civil Aviation Authority to launch biggest ever peacetime repatriation
• Customers currently overseas should check thomascook.caa.co.uk for advice and only go to the airport once they have an alternative flight confirmed
• 24-hour helpline: 0300 303 2800 from the UK and Ireland and +44 1753 330 330 from overseas

Thomas Cook Group, including the UK tour operator and airline, has ceased trading with immediate effect. All Thomas Cook bookings, including flights and holidays, have now been cancelled. There are currently more than 150,000 Thomas Cook customers abroad, almost twice the number that were repatriated following the failure of Monarch.

We know that a company with such long-standing history ceasing trading will be very distressing for its customers and employees and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this news.

The Government has asked the UK Civil Aviation Authority to launch a repatriation programme over the next two weeks, from Monday 23 September to Sunday 6 October, to bring Thomas Cook customers back to the UK. Due to the unprecedented number of UK customers currently overseas who are affected by the situation, the Civil Aviation Authority has secured a fleet of aircraft from around the world to bring passengers back to the UK with return flights.
Passengers in a small number of destinations may return on alternative commercial flights, rather than directly through the Civil Aviation Authority’s flying programme. Details and advice for these passengers are available on the dedicated website.

The Civil Aviation Authority has launched a special website, thomascook.caa.co.uk, where affected customers can find details and information on repatriation flights, as well as advice on accommodation for both ATOL and non-ATOL customers.

Due to the significant scale of the situation, some disruption is inevitable, but the Civil Aviation Authority will endeavour to get people home as close as possible to their planned dates. This will apply to both ATOL protected passengers and those who are not protected.
Customers currently overseas should not travel to the airport until their flight back to the UK has been confirmed on the dedicated website.

Thomas Cook customers in the UK yet to travel should not go to the airport as all flights leaving the UK have been cancelled.
ATOL Protected passengers with future bookings are entitled to a full refund for their cancelled holiday. Passengers currently overseas may also make claims for the cost of replacing ATOL protected parts of their trip, or for out of pocket expenses as a result of delayed flights home. The Civil Aviation Authority will be launching a service to manage all refunds by Monday 30 September, once the flying operation has progressed. This refunds service will seek to process all refunds within 60 days of full information being received.

Further information will be available on our dedicated website in the coming days, but please do not submit anything to the Civil Aviation Authority in the meantime as the organisation continues to focus on the repatriation flying programme to return more than 150,000 passengers to the UK. More information will follow on how to make a claim.
Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:

“News of Thomas Cook’s collapse is deeply saddening for the company’s employees and customers, and we appreciate that more than 150,000 people currently abroad will be anxious about how they will now return to the UK.

“The government has asked us to support Thomas Cook customers on what is the UK’s largest ever peacetime repatriation.

“We have launched, at very short notice, what is effectively one of the UK’s largest airlines, involving a fleet of aircraft secured from around the world. The nature and scale of the operation means that unfortunately some disruption will be inevitable. We ask customers to bear with us as we work around the clock to bring them home.

“We urge anyone affected by this news to check our dedicated website, thomascook.caa.co.uk, for advice and information.”

The UK Civil Aviation Authority will be providing regular updates as our flying programme develops.

 

[Severn]

Looking back at Thomas Cook operations in S19
Thoughts go out to all the crew who will be affected by the folding of Thomas Cook.
Bristol was TCXs fourth largest base after MAN, LGW and BHX. Below is the destinations operated by TCX during peak-summer 2019 along with weekly frequencies. It also shows which other carriers operate to the same destination:

Number of flights per week: 43
Number of aircraft based: 2x TCX A321, 1x A320 (operated by SmartLynx)* *A320 replaced a TCX A321 for June to mid-August.

Weekly Frequencies:
Greece - 12x flights per week

4x Zante (ZTH) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

2x Corfu (CFU) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Crete Heraklion (HER) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Kefalona (EFL) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Kos (KGS) - (Operated by TUI)​

1x Preveza (PVK) - (No airline now operates)​

1x Rhodes (RHO) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Skiathos (JSI) - (Operated by TUI)​

Spain - 12x flights per week

Balearic Islands x6​

3x Majorca (PMI) - (Operated by EZY, RYR, TUI)​

2x Menorca (MAH) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Ibiza (IBZ) - (Operated by EZY, RYR, TUI)​

Canary Islands x4​

2x Tenerife (TFS) - (Operated by EZY, RYR, TUI)​

1x Gran Canaria (LPA) - (Operated by EZY, RYR, TUI)​

1x Lanzarote (ACE) - (Operated by EZY, RYR, TUI)​

Mainland x2​

1x Almeria (LEI) - (No airline now operates)​

1x Gerona (GRO) - (Operated by RYR, TUI)​

Turkey - 11x flights per week

5x Antalya (AYT) - (Operated by TUI)​

5x Dalaman (DLM) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Bodrum (BJV) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

Cyprus - 3x flights per week

2x Larnaca (LCA) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Paphos (PFO) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

Tunisia - 2x flights per week

2x Enfidha (NBE) - (Operated by TUI)​

Bulgaria - 1x flights per week

1x Bourgas (BOJ) - (Operated by TUI, BGH)​

Egypt - 1x flights per week

1x Hurgharda (HRG) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

Malta - 1x flights per week

1x Malta (MLA) - (Operated by RYR, TUI, AMC)​

Capacity:
8,900 departing seats per week in peak summer (29x based A321 flights, 14x based A320 flights)
*9,460 departing seats per week before mid-June and after mid-August (43x based A321 flights)

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Looking back at Thomas Cook operations in S19
Thoughts go out to all the crew who will be affected by the folding of Thomas Cook.
Bristol was TCXs fourth largest base after MAN, LGW and BHX. Below is the destinations operated by TCX during peak-summer 2019 along with weekly frequencies. It also shows which other carriers operate to the same destination:

Number of flights per week: 43
Number of aircraft based: 2x TCX A321, 1x A320 (operated by SmartLynx)* *A320 replaced a TCX A321 for June to mid-August.

Weekly Frequencies:
Greece - 12x flights per week

4x Zante (ZTH) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

2x Corfu (CFU) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Crete Heraklion (HER) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Kefalona (EFL) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Kos (KGS) - (Operated by TUI)​

1x Preveza (PVK) - (No airline now operates)​

1x Rhodes (RHO) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Skiathos (JSI) - (Operated by TUI)​

Spain - 12x flights per week

Balearic Islands x6​

3x Majorca (PMI) - (Operated by EZY, RYR, TUI)​

2x Menorca (MAH) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Ibiza (IBZ) - (Operated by EZY, RYR, TUI)​

Canary Islands x4​

2x Tenerife (TFS) - (Operated by EZY, RYR, TUI)​

1x Gran Canaria (LPA) - (Operated by EZY, RYR, TUI)​

1x Lanzarote (ACE) - (Operated by EZY, RYR, TUI)​

Mainland x2​

1x Almeria (LEI) - (No airline now operates)​

1x Gerona (GRO) - (Operated by RYR, TUI)​

Turkey - 11x flights per week

5x Antalya (AYT) - (Operated by TUI)​

5x Dalaman (DLM) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Bodrum (BJV) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

Cyprus - 3x flights per week

2x Larnaca (LCA) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

1x Paphos (PFO) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

Tunisia - 2x flights per week

2x Enfidha (NBE) - (Operated by TUI)​

Bulgaria - 1x flights per week

1x Bourgas (BOJ) - (Operated by TUI, BGH)​

Egypt - 1x flights per week

1x Hurgharda (HRG) - (Operated by EZY, TUI)​

Malta - 1x flights per week

1x Malta (MLA) - (Operated by RYR, TUI, AMC)​

Capacity:
8,900 departing seats per week in peak summer (29x based A321 flights, 14x based A320 flights)
*9,460 departing seats per week before mid-June and after mid-August (43x based A321 flights)

That's a lot of capacity to replace. It's unlikely that existing carriers will be in a position to make little more than a relatively small dent in it. Turkey leaves a very large hole.

 

[Marko1]

Yes it’s Greece, turkey, Cyprus , Egypt , Tunisia and Egypt that are the ones to suffer. Incidentally tui has dropped its own Malta service next year too and easyJet seat plans point to a 319 on all Greek island routes next year (Athens all 321 ). But surely brs must have some ideas - world routes this week ...

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Could the certain red airline be announced sooner than anyone planned? That would certainly replace the lost capacity and more. Sadly they don't have the aircraft order at the moment.

 

[Marko1]

Could the certain red airline be announced sooner than anyone planned? That would certainly replace the lost capacity and more. Sadly they don't have the aircraft order at the moment.

They could just expand further at their current bases. I’m pessimistic on the certain red tailed airline arriving any time soon. There was big rumours a year or two ago and that went dead.

 

[Jerry]

Could the certain red airline be announced sooner than anyone planned? That would certainly replace the lost capacity and more. Sadly they don't have the aircraft order at the moment.

I suppose they could find some 737s somewhere around the world and maybe take on the Air Tanker A330s to free up capacity at MAN and STN and maybe even BHX but I'd imagine that first they'd want to add to Newcastle Glasgow Belfast and East Midlands first at least 1 aircraft each. I'd probably say that they would have to find an extra 12 aircraft first to probably even contemplate BRS and then there is the fact that they would have a short lead in time to sell packages. 2021 is probably more realistic.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Yes it’s Greece, turkey, Cyprus , Egypt , Tunisia and Egypt that are the ones to suffer. Incidentally tui has dropped its own Malta service next year too and easyJet seat plans point to a 319 on all Greek island routes next year (Athens all 321 ). But surely brs must have some ideas - world routes this week ...

Do you mean the Air Malta service that TUI used? In summer 2018 Malta was served in summer by Ryanair (3 x weekly), Air Malta (1 x weekly) and Thomas Cook (1 x weekly). I thought the same pattern applied in summer 2019.

As for ideas, I'm not sure who heads up the route team now. I've looked at the Leadership Team shown on the BRS website and I can only assume that the person with overall responsibiity is the business development director. I'm sure that he is very able, but his history as shown on the website lists senior positions in other industries with nothing in aviation prior to arriving at BRS a couple of years ago.

At one time the Leadership Team showed an aviation director (I think that was the term). The incumbent at the time was someone steeped in BRS having worked there for many years and the possessor of an encyclopaedic knowledge of the aviation scene in the South West and South Wales. I don't know what input if any he now has with regard to new routes and airlines.

BRS has been losing airlines in recent times but other than Loganair replacing flybmi on the ABZ and Brussels Airlines taking the BRU route back in house, albeit with a third party carrier, there haven't been any new airlines coming along.

 

[Marko1]

Yes tui has dropped its air Malta charter next summer together with the loss of the tcx service.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Yes tui has dropped its air Malta charter next summer together with the loss of the tcx service.

It will be interesting to see if TUI revives their MLA link given the TCX news.

 

[Ice-tongs]

The Antalya repatriation flight this morning was via Glasgow with Jet2 flight from Glasgow to Bristol, Imagine some grumpy folk arriving back into a wet windy Bristol this am.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The Antalya repatriation flight this morning was via Glasgow with Jet2 flight from Glasgow to Bristol, Imagine some grumpy folk arriving back into a wet windy Bristol this am.

You aways get moaners but I'd hope the majority understood the situation and accepted the circuitous route home gracefully and gratefully.