(Reuters) - Aircraft leasing companies are launching moves to recover dozens of Airbus passenger planes after the collapse of British travel group Thomas Cook
The overall group operates a fleet of 85 Airbus planes and 31 Boeing jets, or a total of 116 aircraft based across Europe, according to data from UK-based aviation consultancy IBA.
All except 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 that are potentially directly affected by the collapse. They are operated by three 100% Thomas Cook subsidiaries in the UK, Scandinavia and Spain.
A fourth airline, Frankfurt-based Condor, in which bankrupt Thomas Cook Group owns fractionally less than 50%, according to the British company's annual report, says it will keep flying.
Condor's fleet includes an Airbus A330 that doubles as a reserve aerial refueling tanker for the Royal Air Force, leased with a crew from UK consortium Air Tanker, according to IBA.
Here is a summary of the aircraft operated by Thomas Cook Airlines via four affiliated carriers (source: IBA).
Thomas Cook Airlines Ltd (UK, 100%-owned by Thomas Cook)
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Airbus A320-200 3
Airbus A321-200 35
Airbus A330-200 8
Total 46
Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia (Denmark, 100%-owned)
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Airbus A321-200 8
Airbus A330-300 3
Total 11
Thomas Cook Airlines Balearics (Spain, 100%-owned)
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Airbus A320-200 6
Total 6
Condor Flugdienst (Germany, 49.996%-owned*, still operating)
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Airbus A320-200 7
Airbus A321-200 14
Airbus A330-200 1
Boeing 757-300 15
Boeing 767-300ER 16
Total 53
Grand total 116
*Source: Thomas Cook annual report, other data supplied by IBA
(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by David Evans and Edmund Blair)
