Thomas Cook to axe 250 jobs
Thomas Cook has confirmed that it will shed six aircraft and 250 airline jobs by the end of the year.
The announcement, which was made to staff at Thomas Cook Airlines yesterday, will largely affect staff based in Manchester although crew based at other UK airports could also be affected.
A company spokesman: "We have entered into a 90-day consultation with employees who could be affected by the change; no decision about redundancies will be made until after the consultation."
At the same time, the operator is also consulting with staff about extending their working hours at calls centres in Peterborough and Falkirk, which would involve employees working Sundays and until later in the evenings.
Cook has asked 400 staff who currently work six days a week from 8am to 8pm to consider working seven days a week, until 10pm, on a shift basis.
Both the airline cuts and changes to the working hours form part of Cook's strategic review announced in May.
Chief executive of Thomas Cook Mainstream Ian Ailles said: “The fleet reduction is one measure within our overall strategic and operating review of the UK business and demonstrates the decisive action that we are taking to improve the profitability of our UK business.
“The airline review has focused on leases, seasonal capacity and mainstream tour operator demand, as well as operational efficiency and profitability.”
Of the six aircraft, three A330s will be returned to their leasing company along with a narrow-bodied A320, a Boeing 767 will be shifted to Thomas Cook's German airline Condor and a fourth A330 will transfer to Thomas Cook Northern Europe.
Cook said the reduction in its aircraft did not mean it would cut capacity for summer 2012 as some of its flying was on behalf of third parties and some of its packages were based on scheduled flights.
The operator has already announced that its winter 2011/12 capacity will be cut by 5%.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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