Thomas Cook

[pamann]

has Stansted become a 757 base for TCX now?

[Kestrel_Stu]

has Stansted become a 757 base for TCX now?

No still A320 but it's very quiet this winter at STN until about mid-Feb. They don't have the ski flights there like most other bases. The 757 flights are pretty much done there now for the winter too, with the exception of some ad-hocs next month.

[pamann]

So has Stansted become a temporary base now for TCX? It's certainly come along way (for the worse) seeing that Airtours pioneered the low cost/free child place holiday flights using it as their London hub many moons ago.

[Skipness One Echo]

Callsign Question

When did the callsign "TopJet" become "Kestrel"? I thought I had a note but now I can't find it. Had a good search on pprune but can't fine it even though I remember someone posting at the time!

Also did Thomas Cook ever use "Globe" as their callsign?

[Stanstedeye]

So has Stansted become a temporary base now for TCX? It's certainly come along way (for the worse) seeing that Airtours pioneered the low cost/free child place holiday flights using it as their London hub many moons ago

FR has taken a lot of business from them, but the CY routes, & (left out in the cold Malta) is another destination for them to consider,

[Ian Brooks]

Skipness I think this might help re change

Kestrel was the old Airtours callsign so I guess it came in the same time as the merger was completed ,which I can`t remember but think it was October 2008

http://www.pprune.org/questions/8074...hange-why.html
Airline Call Sign — Civil Aviation Forum | Airliners.net

I don`t remember them using Globe but that`s not saying they didn`t at some point
but would have thought to close to Globespan

Ian B

[Ian Brooks]

Skipness further to previous

My memory is fading it was JMC, just shows how things disappear into the past
very quickly
Callsign "Globe" Who Is That? — Civil Aviation Forum | Airliners.net

Ian B

[Skipness One Echo]

Thanks Ian, I remenber "Kestrel" as Airtours quite well. The only reason I ask is that my records from 2005- are marked as "TCX" which was the ICAO code retained when the callsign changed with the MyTravel merger. It just struck me that having TCX123K logged is all terribly jolly but it doesn't tell what the actual callsign was!

[Kestrel_Stu]

When did the callsign "TopJet" become "Kestrel"?

When the merger was completed in March 2008 bringing MyTravel Airways and Thomas Cook Airlines UK Ltd under a common Air Operators Certificate (AOC), all flights were transferred to the MyTravel Airways AOC (renamed Thomas Cook Airlines).

The Thomas Cook Airlines UK Ltd AOC ceased to exist.

The three-letter ICAO code was changed from MYT to TCX, but the callsign "Kestrel" was retained on the basis of a pilot survey (and Eurocontrol approval for it to be associated with ICAO code TCX).

UK ATC were quick to catch on but it was several months before "Top Jet" was replaced with "Kestrel" in some parts of the world. Even now, we are referred to as "Top Jet" on occasion.

I don`t remember them using Globe

In the latter days of JMC the callsign was changed from "Jay Emm Cee" to "Globe", IIRC this transitioned into the early days of the "old" TCX before "Top Jet" was adopted. This was also based on a preference vote by pilots with a few suggestions on offer.

Why oh WHY our little airline in Belgium with seven aeroplanes gets to use the callsign "Thomas Cook" while we with 40+ in our fleet argue over a new callsign every few years I'll never know...

[Danny_R]

Anybody know what is happening with the TCX Calgary flight into Manchester today? It landed on time apparently so assuming aircraft has gone tech down route? I'm supposed to be picking the other half up from it in the morning but MAN's website is just stating 'Next Information at ****' (insert time that once passed gets changed again).

**edit**

MAN's website has now just updated to say Next Information at 13:00, guess that's an indefinite delay and hotel stop over then! She's going to be made up! If anybody can get any info on the delay and ETD that would be helpful.

[david1994]

Departed and onroute to Manchester

[Fernanjet]

Lots of rescue flights from Monastir i notice today...

[david1994]

TCX001R MIR 1210 MAN 1430
TCX002R MIR 1240 MAN 1500
TCX003R MIR 1350 LGW 1555
TCX006R MIR 1635 MAN 1840
TCX004R MIR 1640 MAN 1900
TCX005R MIR 1715 LGW 1935

[goldeneye]

What aircraft did TCX use to operate the repatriation flights, were they there own metal or chartered from other carriers.

[TCX69]

Tcx001r Mir 1210 Man 1430 A320 G-dhrg
Tcx002r Mir 1240 Man 1500 A321 G-dhjh
Tcx003r Mir 1350 Lgw 1555 B752 G-fcli
Tcx006r Mir 1635 Man 1840 B763 G-tccb
Tcx004r Mir 1640 Man 1900 A321 G-omyj
Tcx005r Mir 1715 Lgw 1935 B763 G-dajc

[OliWW]

New Aircraft

Thomas Cook Group has firmed up a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 12 A321s.

The UK holiday company signed the MoU last month as part of a five-year plan to replace its narrowbody fleet.

Deliveries of the aircraft, which will be equipped with Airbus sharklets, are scheduled to begin in 2014.

In addition to the 12 A321s, Thomas Cook plans to lease A320-family aircraft from lessors

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news

Its also understood that it will keep the current A321's as well, and replace older A320's with new leased aircraft

[Bagmanlgw]

TCX at LGW / MAN

With the summer season fast approaching any ideas on what TCX plan to base at Gatwick and Manchester this summer ?

Last year LGW opperated with x 2 Aurela B752s rather than TCX metal

I am led to believe that customer feed back on the state of these aircraft was rather negative last summer ?

Bagmanlgw

[goldeneye]

One Boeing 767 is being based at LGW, one at MAN and the other at GLA which will also have a 757-300 based there too.

[Fernanjet]

Anyone know which 6 TCX aircraft are getting then new "Egypt" livery and branding?

And when?

and do we think they will now re-think this deal!!?

[goldeneye]

Do TCX own the 3 767's or are they on a long term lease ?