Dozens of Airbus and Boeing jets to be recovered, 150,000 holidaymakers to be repatriated

Aircraft leasing companies are making plans to recover dozens of Airbus passenger planes after the collapse of travel firm Thomas Cook, according to Reuters.

The collapse of the UK’s oldest tour operator was announced this morning which will result in the loss of thousands of jobs. The CAA is making arrangements to repatriate an estimated 150,000 holidaymakers who are currently abroad. operates a fleet of 85 Airbus planes and 31 Boeing jets, with a total of 116 aircraft based across Europe. Reuters quotes data from UK-based aviation consultancy IBA.

Aircraft leased from 38 companies

All of the aircraft, with the exception of five, are leased from a total of 38 leasing companies or investment vehicles led by top names in aviation finance. The fleet includes 63 Airbus aircraft which will potentially be directly affected by the collapse. They are operated by three 100 per cent Thomas Cook subsidiaries in the UK, Scandinavia and Spain.

A fourth airline, Frankfurt-based Condor, in which Thomas Cook owns fractionally less than 50 per cent, has stated it will keep flying. Condor’s fleet includes an Airbus A330 that doubles as a reserve aerial refuelling tanker for the Royal Air Force, leased with a crew from UK consortium Air Tanker, according to IBA.

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