I've been raising that question for a while with no conclusive response. It seems slightly odd that the airport, not just TCX, have been advertising this new route in 2018 in their PR blurb if they knew it was being dropped after only 1 season.

I couldn't find the TCX timetable of long haul routes for 2019 when I checked earlier today but a few weeks ago it was showing 38 weekly departures from MAN in 2019 compared to 44 this summer. If they are cutting back to the US, it would offset some of the 20% increase in capacity from Virgin.

If VS are a single carrier doing BOS, and TCX likewise on SFO (we know VS are dropping SFO), that may not be a bad thing in some ways. However, if SEA is chopped after just 1 season, that is disappointing.

Incidentally, in a presentation I heard a few years ago of unserved routes from MAN at that time, SFO was well ahead of LAX in terms of potential pax for a direct service. Perhaps demand has changed since, but we'll have both TCX and VS flying to LAX in 2019.

TCX are indeed sourcing an A330 to replace the frame going back to Air Tanker. According to Routesonline:

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38...ervice-in-s19/

LAX decreases by 1 a week
SFO change of day of operation
SEA increase to 3 a week

Thomas Cooks Long Haul Flying Future...
 

Does anyone know what Thomas Cooks long haul plans are, with regards to new aircraft?

Just been looking the A330-200's are averaging around 13.4yrs old and the A330-300's are around 18yrs old. When you add into the mix the Condor 767's which are averaging nearly 23yrs old, I guess the airline needs to consider the next move for the long haul fleet in the next 18-24 months and would make sense to probably make one large order for the whole group to secure the best deal, with the first deliveries going to Condor and doing staggered deliveries over maybe a five year period, the current A330-200's will be reaching around 18-20yrs old.
(Source: https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Thomas-Cook-Group)

Another question, can Thomas Cook Airlines maintain long haul flying as a "Scheduled" carrier for the foreseeable future from Manchester, or are they just riding the crest of a wave while there is limited low cost long haul competition from Manchester, at the moment?
I can't imagine they would be in a good place if they tried to compete with Norwegian.

Could this be why there are rumours of Thomas Cook looking for an investor in the airline side of the business, to buy new aircraft?

Largely good news, I think. Slightly surprised at the scale of capacity increase on MCO and CUN. BOS with MT gone but we keep the route courtesy of VS. It's another sign that MT and VS are accepting the size of the market on some of their MAN-USA routes, and instead of a capacity/ price war they are somehow working out who can do which ones the best, and which to leave to the other. VS have increased BOS for next year. Likewise VS have dropped out of SFO and left that to MT, who have stepped down a notch on LAX as VS join them on this arguably stronger route. No suggestion of any collusion here, just good market sense. The shift of operating days by MT also means that we have a flight to LAX on 5 days of the week rather than 2 flights on some days and none on most. This can only be good, leaving both airlines stronger and the routes with some scope to grow. SEA increase in frequency does not surprise me, the transfer volumes connecting on to this service over MAN have been HUGE. Dr. Frasier Crane would say 'I'm listening'.

Excellent summary Roverman.

I'm surprised MAG never used Daphne (Jane Leeves) to promote Manchester in the USA.

The USA would likely have known no different but she was born in Essex and brought up in Sussex so definitely not a UK marketing tool for Manchester !
The Frasier series repeated on TV Channel 4 most mornings is brilliant and a must watch. I'm with you Roverman on "I'm listening"

TC Long Haul from Manchester S19

Cuba - Holguin is dropping to weekly from twice weekly, plus weekly flights to Varadero, Cayo Coco & Cayo Santa Maria
Las Vegas is operating five times a week

Scandinavian arm to take hifly a380

wet lease arrangement so i imagine will stay in hifly colours

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmf...9f22930216.jpg

...................

Being used on Copenhagen to Larnaca and back today and from Oslo to Palma de Mallorca and back on 2 August.