Thomas Cook Scandinavia spun off, resumes flight ops

Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia (Copenhagen Kastrup) has resumed flight operations as of Tuesday, September 24, Swedish tour operator and Thomas Cook Group subsidiary Ving Group has announced. The UK-based leisure holding collapsed on Monday, September 23 after multi-billion pound buy-out talks ended with no deal.

"Ving Group, together with Ving, Spies, Tjäreborg, Globetrotter and Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia, which are separate legal entities, are now investing further and air traffic is once again up and running effective tomorrow Tuesday," the firm said.

Swedish media said Ving Group had been involved in extensive negotiations on Monday leading up to its separation from bankrupt Thomas Cook Group.

"Ving Group in the Nordic countries and the Nordic airline Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia have been among the most profitable travel companies in the Nordic region for many years. The Board has now decided to resume flights during Tuesday. Full focus is now on taking care of the travellers affected by Monday's temporarily cancelled flights, and to make sure the flights are in the air by Tuesday."

Denmark-based Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia operates eight A321-200s, one A330-200, and three A330-300s.

Meanwhile, passenger repatriation efforts covering Thomas Cook flights to the United Kingdom have continued with multiple aircraft having been wet-leased in. ch-aviation analysis shows the following airlines and aircraft have been recruited to cover Thomas Cook Airlines UK's absence:

• Miami Air International: one B737-800;
• Eastern Airlines: three B767-300s;
• euroAtlantic Airways: one B767-300 and one B777-200(ER);
• Privilege Style: one B767-300(ER);
• Atlas Air: one B747-400;
• Evelop Airlines: one A330-300;
• Malaysia Airlines: one A380-800;
• Titan Airways: one B757-200, one B737-400 (wet-leased from GetJet Airlines), one A320-200 and four A321-200s (all wet-leased from Avion Express), one A320-200 (wet-leased from SundAir), one A321-200 (wet-leased from Olympus Airways), two A321-200s (wet-leased from SmartLynx Airlines); one A340-600 (wet-leased from Maleth-Aero), one A340-300 (wet-leased from Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas).
• Hi Fly: one A340-300;
• Hi Fly Malta: one A340-300.

The collapse of tour operator Thomas Cook Belgium (TCB) has also had knock-on effects in the Belgian aviation industry. Brussels Airlines said in a statement on Monday, September 23, that owing to TCB's inability to settle overdue payments over the last few weeks, it had started to cancel flights that it would usually operate on the Belgian tour operator's behalf.

Thus far, Brussels Airlines has cancelled flights from Brussels National to each of Enfidha and Djerba with more likely to be affected in the coming days.

"The Belgian airline is at present working on its flight plan of the coming weeks and months and will inform as quickly as possible about possible changes in its flight offer," it added.